Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Lviv Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Lviv

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,013 in Medellin versus $910 in Lviv.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,366 in Lviv.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $1,823 in Lviv.

Living in Medellin is roughly 11% more expensive than Lviv, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Lviv 32% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$7.36 ₴326

-18.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.4K

$28.54 ₴1,264

15.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$5.36 ₴237

32.28%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,115

$1.56 ₴68.9

9.62%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.10 COP 3,924

$0.59 ₴26.29

86.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,781

$0.43 ₴18.96

81.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,997

$1.36 ₴60.3

23.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$1.73 ₴76.5

77.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,906

$1.07 ₴47.35

1.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,508

$0.72 ₴31.99

75.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,922

$1.57 ₴69.6

-12.10%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,827

$1.81 ₴80.2

20.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$8.30 ₴368

-46.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$4.23 ₴187

33.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.8K

$7.41 ₴328

19.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,349

$0.92 ₴40.85

154.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,777

$1.45 ₴64.2

-26.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,374

$1.59 ₴70.6

-5.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,924

$2.18 ₴96.6

-36.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,111

$0.71 ₴31.57

61.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,155

$0.57 ₴25.29

103.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,182

$1.27 ₴56.4

-29.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,997

$0.53 ₴23.66

58.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,145

$2.52 ₴112

-9.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.0K

$6.07 ₴269

75.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,284

$0.77 ₴34.06

55.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,824

$1.36 ₴60.2

81.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,056

$0.57 ₴25.29

50.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.9K

$9.96 ₴441

315.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,264

$2.86 ₴126

-48.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,009

$0.23 ₴10.13

752.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$4.25 ₴188

82.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,409

$1.40 ₴62.0

-32.14%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$18.1K COP 64.7M

$30.9K ₴1.4M

-41.34%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.5K COP 94.6M

$22.5K ₴994.7K

17.97%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$82.3 COP 293.7K

$85.6 ₴3,793

-3.94%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$5.03 ₴223

88.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.5K

$6.20 ₴275

290.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.4K

$26.97 ₴1,195

-4.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.9K

$9.86 ₴437

92.70%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$4.76 ₴211

-17.44%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$309 COP 1.1M

$294 ₴13.0K

5.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$6,266 ₴277.6K

-4.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.5K

$59.5 ₴2,636

-1.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.5K

$34.79 ₴1,541

-7.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 366.4K

$98.5 ₴4,364

4.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 387.2K

$89.1 ₴3,948

21.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$476 ₴21.1K

0.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$344 ₴15.2K

10.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$819 ₴36.3K

2.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$542 ₴24.0K

33.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

$2,003 ₴88.7K

39.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$1,267 ₴56.2K

-4.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$623 ₴27.6K

-17.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Lviv: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $476 in Lviv. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lviv pays 22% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $29.00 in Lviv for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $164 per month, with Lviv cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Medellin vs Lviv: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Lviv differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($1,013 vs $910 including rent). Lviv is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Lviv earns 22% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $476 in Medellin versus $476 in Lviv. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $294 in Lviv. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $910 in Lviv versus $1,013 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lviv but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Lviv the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Lviv are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Lviv gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.