Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and San Lorenzo Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and San Lorenzo

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $564 in San Lorenzo, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $967 in San Lorenzo, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $1,369 in San Lorenzo, rent included.

Medellin costs about 191% more than San Lorenzo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while San Lorenzo is 59% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$7.03 ₲41.5K

14.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$42.86 ₲253.0K

12.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$6.67 ₲39.4K

41.23%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$3.34 ₲19.7K

-11.98%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$1.10 ₲6,509

69.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.58 ₲3,440

151.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$2.06 ₲12.2K

55.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$1.86 ₲11.0K

206.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.12 ₲6,613

28.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$0.91 ₲5,387

163.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$1.29 ₲7,605

31.78%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$2.40 ₲14.2K

20.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$5.02 ₲29.7K

100.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$2.23 ₲13.2K

347.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$6.69 ₲39.5K

112.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$2.15 ₲12.7K

85.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.22 ₲7,173

29.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$0.99 ₲5,847

117.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$1.11 ₲6,561

107.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$1.00 ₲5,883

100.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$0.88 ₲5,196

71.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$0.45 ₲2,630

166.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.53 ₲3,135

141.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$2.27 ₲13.4K

69.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$3.83 ₲22.6K

265.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$0.60 ₲3,566

185.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$0.84 ₲4,934

226.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$35.63 ₲210.3K

118.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$1.41 ₲8,308

-7.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$1.55 ₲9,177

40.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$4.06 ₲24.0K

104.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.16 ₲6,859

17.24%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$16.9K ₲99.8M

62.44%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$34.8K ₲205.3M

5.06%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$48.23 ₲284.7K

249.82%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$17.29 ₲102.1K

-21.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$21.71 ₲128.2K

30.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$20.62 ₲121.7K

121.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$11.72 ₲69.2K

46.93%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$4.27 ₲25.2K

55.74%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$180 ₲1.1M

346.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$5,720 ₲33.8M

60.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$62.8 ₲370.6K

39.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$55.2 ₲326.1K

7.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$103 ₲606.0K

35.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$70.5 ₲416.2K

44.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

10.15

7.78%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for San Lorenzo: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $43.00 in San Lorenzo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $134 – making San Lorenzo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 San Lorenzo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 191%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,462 per month in Medellin and $847 in San Lorenzo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin and $43.00 in San Lorenzo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,641 in Medellin and $564 in San Lorenzo. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in San Lorenzo, where all-in costs run around $564, than in Medellin at $1,641. In San Lorenzo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward San Lorenzo – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with San Lorenzo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.