Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Maseru Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Maseru

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,716 in Medellin versus $699 in Maseru.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,527 in Medellin versus $1,161 in Maseru.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,338 in Medellin versus $1,624 in Maseru.

Living in Medellin is roughly 146% more expensive than in Maseru, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Maseru is 49% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.2K

$9.28 LSL 149

-13.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 151.7K

$24.64 LSL 395

95.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.7K

$8.65 LSL 139

12.95%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,149

$2.12 LSL 33.93

37.26%

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

$1.94 COP 6,110

$1.08 LSL 17.36

79.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,783

$0.85 LSL 13.68

78.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,721

$1.92 LSL 30.72

60.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 18.1K

$2.53 LSL 40.63

126.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,287

$1.22 LSL 19.51

11.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,505

$0.82 LSL 13.11

191.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,346

$1.84 LSL 29.52

-7.61%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 9,021

$1.61 LSL 25.83

78.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.2K

$7.03 LSL 113

41.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.9K

$6.22 LSL 99.8

73.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.3K

$6.20 LSL 99.4

137.58%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$1.97 LSL 31.60

107.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,940

$2.35 LSL 37.67

-33.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,682

$2.76 LSL 44.29

-22.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,959

$2.42 LSL 38.85

-8.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,435

$1.57 LSL 25.12

30.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,728

$1.64 LSL 26.25

-8.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,740

$1.53 LSL 24.56

-22.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,640

$0.84 LSL 13.54

38.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$5.35 LSL 85.7

-27.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.4K

$7.42 LSL 119

94.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,978

$1.12 LSL 17.99

41.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,889

$1.59 LSL 25.46

77.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,672

$0.84 LSL 13.41

39.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 244.3K

$30.97 LSL 497

150.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,038

$0.72 LSL 11.60

77.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,576

$0.66 LSL 10.57

216.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 27.1K

$3.77 LSL 60.5

128.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,080

$1.32 LSL 21.22

-1.52%

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

$27.7K COP 86.9M

$21.8K LSL 350.4K

26.60%

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

$35.5K COP 111.6M

$17.0K LSL 272.2K

109.28%

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

$176 COP 553.4K

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

$13.37 COP 42.0K

$15.02 LSL 241

-10.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 94.0K

$39.11 LSL 627

-23.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 140.7K

$23.99 LSL 385

86.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.6K

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.5K

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$53.2 LSL 854

1391.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.4M

$1,216 LSL 19.5K

641.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 269.1K

$46.93 LSL 753

82.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 183.8K

$56.9 LSL 912

2.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 428.4K

$107 LSL 1,723

26.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 324.1K

$154 LSL 2,462

-32.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$94.6 LSL 1,518

1019.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$56.3 LSL 904

1106.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$452 LSL 7,245

345.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$178 LSL 2,851

557.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.9M

$395 LSL 6,338

940.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$537 LSL 8,605

217.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

$647 LSL 10.4K

2.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

8.5

28.71%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Maseru: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,060 in Medellin and $94.6 in Maseru. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 3% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $25.00 in Maseru for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $200 per month, with Maseru 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 Maseru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Maseru differ by about 146% in total monthly costs ($1,716 vs $699 including rent). Maseru is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 3% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,060 in Medellin versus $94.6 in Maseru. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Maseru – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,716 per month in Medellin versus $699 in Maseru – a 146% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $699 in Maseru versus $1,716 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Maseru but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Maseru 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.

Expats usually find Maseru gentler on the wallet – expenses run 146% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.