Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Puerto De La Libertad

For one person, living is cheaper in Puerto De La Libertad: $833 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Puerto De La Libertad, El Salvador
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Puerto De La Libertad
🇸🇻 El Salvador
$833
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Puerto De La Libertad

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Puerto De La Libertad actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $833 in Puerto De La Libertad, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Puerto De La Libertad $833

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,335 in Puerto De La Libertad, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Puerto De La Libertad $1,335

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,836 in Puerto De La Libertad, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Puerto De La Libertad $1,836

Medellin costs about 97% more than Puerto De La Libertad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Puerto De La Libertad is 39% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Puerto De La Libertad
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 25.4K
$6.60 $6.60
22.58%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 148.0K
$44.41 $44.41
5.94%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 29.9K
$6.83 $6.83
39.09%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,485
$3.64 $3.64
-17.31%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,660
$1.12 $1.12
60.71%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,443
$0.80 $0.80
76.25%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 9,990
$1.96 $1.96
62.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.1K
$3.64 $3.64
57.97%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Puerto De La Libertad
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,751
$1.83 $1.83
-17.49%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,480
$2.84 $2.84
-16.20%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,573
$1.39 $1.39
27.34%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,093
$2.96 $2.96
-2.36%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.1K
$7.94 $7.94
28.34%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.1K
$6.87 $6.87
43.67%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 44.0K
$10.17 $10.17
37.56%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.5K
$4.96 $4.96
-19.96%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 4,883
$1.44 $1.44
7.64%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 6,867
$2.69 $2.69
-18.96%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 6,870
$3.48 $3.48
-37.36%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,174
$2.95 $2.95
-33.56%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,000
$3.22 $3.22
-50.62%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,604
$1.04 $1.04
10.58%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 3,911
$0.97 $0.97
27.84%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.5K
$3.90 $3.90
1.54%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 43.0K
$12.19 $12.19
12.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,221
$2.19 $2.19
-24.20%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,103
$2.96 $2.96
-23.65%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Puerto De La Libertad
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,674
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 243.4K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 3,989
$5.96 $5.96
-78.69%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,442
$2.97 $2.97
-30.98%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 26.9K
$20.03 $20.03
-57.31%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,237
$1.27 $1.27
6.30%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 107.2M
$24.7K $24.7K
37.99%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 109.1M
$26.8K $26.8K
29.40%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Puerto De La Libertad
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 533.7K
$131 $131
29.24%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 42.6K
$21.60 $21.60
-37.27%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 88.3K
$43.24 $43.24
-35.08%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Puerto De La Libertad
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 137.5K
$20.18 $20.18
116.55%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 54.1K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 21.7K
$4.93 $4.93
40.16%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Puerto De La Libertad
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.5M
$162 $162
391.72%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 28.7M
$4,758 $4,758
91.51%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Puerto De La Libertad
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 266.5K
$68.4 $68.4
23.82%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 182.3K
$46.15 $46.15
25.59%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 424.6K
$119 $119
13.23%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 307.9K
$117 $117
-16.03%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Puerto De La Libertad
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.8M
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.0M
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.4M
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.2M
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.1M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.0M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Puerto De La Libertad
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
-
-
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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Puerto De La Libertad: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Puerto De La Libertad
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Puerto De La Libertad
$287 3.5% $10
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Puerto De La Libertad
$196 7.2% $15
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Puerto De La Libertad
$142 16.4% $28
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Puerto De La Libertad
$158 6.7% $11
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Puerto De La Libertad
$21 * 77.7% $73
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Puerto De La Libertad
$30 47.8% $28

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $44 in Puerto De La Libertad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $287 – making Puerto De La Libertad the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇸🇻 Puerto De La Libertad
🕒 Local time
13:07 1:07 PM
12:07 12:07 PM
1 h behind Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
16,855
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Puerto De La Libertad 1,700 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Puerto De La Libertad

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Puerto De La Libertad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Puerto De La Libertad cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 97%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,250 in Puerto De La Libertad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Puerto De La Libertad?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $44 in Puerto De La Libertad. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Medellin and in Puerto De La Libertad?
Groceries cost about 4% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $800 enough to cover costs in Medellin or in Puerto De La Libertad?
$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,639 in Medellin and $833 in Puerto De La Libertad. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Is it better to live in Medellin or in Puerto De La Libertad?
It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $833 in Puerto De La Libertad to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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