Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Zaltan Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Zaltan

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,681 per month in Medellin vs $364 in Zaltan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,445 per month in Medellin vs $564 in Zaltan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,210 per month in Medellin vs $764 in Zaltan, rent included.

Medellin costs about 362% more than Zaltan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 23% above the global median, while Zaltan is 73% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$3.90 LYD 24.72

105.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$14.77 LYD 93.6

224.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$2.49 LYD 15.77

297.19%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.65 LYD 4.12

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 LYD 3.82

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$0.43 LYD 2.72

627.91%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$0.42 LYD 2.65

354.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.09 LYD 0.58

1577.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$0.97 LYD 6.15

48.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$0.20 LYD 1.27

1145.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$1.17 LYD 7.41

51.28%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$1.34 LYD 8.51

120.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$5.06 LYD 32.07

99.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$3.24 LYD 20.53

212.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$9.88 LYD 62.6

44.74%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$2.25 LYD 14.26

84.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.49 LYD 9.46

8.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$0.72 LYD 4.56

212.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$0.56 LYD 3.52

301.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$0.67 LYD 4.25

204.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$0.49 LYD 3.11

214.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$0.43 LYD 2.72

172.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.16 LYD 1.04

718.75%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.85 LYD 11.71

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 LYD 6.77

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.85 LYD 5.39

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$1.98 LYD 12.57

96.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$0.83 LYD 5.25

57.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$0.46 LYD 2.91

376.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$0.02 LYD 0.11

6750.00%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$23.9K LYD 151.6K

16.34%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$14.1K LYD 89.1K

154.54%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$95.8 LYD 607

85.07%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$5.86 LYD 37.15

136.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$27.16 LYD 172

9.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$52.5 LYD 333

1449.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$618 LYD 3,918

1386.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$20.50 LYD 130

336.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$17.57 LYD 111

235.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$54.6 LYD 346

153.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$66.1 LYD 419

54.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Zaltan: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $15.00 in Zaltan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $305 vs $115 – making Zaltan 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 Zaltan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 362%, 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 $2,521 per month in Medellin and $546 in Zaltan. 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 $15.00 in Zaltan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 164% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Zaltan, where all-in costs run around $364, than in Medellin at $1,681. In Zaltan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zaltan – 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 Zaltan. 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.