Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Zaltan

For one person, living is cheaper in Zaltan: $368 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $15,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Zaltan

🇱🇾 Libya

$368

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Zaltan

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 Zaltan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $368 in Zaltan, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Zaltan $368

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $572 in Zaltan, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Zaltan $572

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $776 in Zaltan, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Zaltan $776

Medellin costs about 345% more than Zaltan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Zaltan is 73% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$3.94 LYD 25.30

105.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$15.80 LYD 101

197.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$2.58 LYD 16.54

268.22%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.59 LYD 3.81

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 LYD 4.39

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$0.44 LYD 2.84

584.09%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$0.46 LYD 2.96

291.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$0.10 LYD 0.67

1310.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$0.97 LYD 6.25

55.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$0.20 LYD 1.28

1090.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$1.17 LYD 7.50

51.28%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$1.36 LYD 8.72

112.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$5.29 LYD 33.93

92.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$3.57 LYD 22.90

176.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$9.26 LYD 59.4

51.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$2.30 LYD 14.76

72.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$1.48 LYD 9.52

4.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$0.75 LYD 4.78

190.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$0.60 LYD 3.85

263.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$0.77 LYD 4.96

154.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$0.50 LYD 3.19

218.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$0.42 LYD 2.70

173.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.17 LYD 1.09

629.41%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.82 LYD 11.67

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 LYD 6.31

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 LYD 5.28

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$1.99 LYD 12.79

98.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$0.81 LYD 5.22

56.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

$0.49 LYD 3.12

318.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$0.02 LYD 0.14

6650.00%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$23.8K LYD 152.8K

42.96%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$21.4K LYD 137.0K

62.32%

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$92.1 LYD 591

84.22%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$5.97 LYD 38.29

126.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$26.61 LYD 171

5.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$51.8 LYD 332

1438.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$1,557 LYD 9,985

485.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$22.38 LYD 144

278.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

$17.27 LYD 111

235.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

$63.5 LYD 408

112.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$67.6 LYD 433

44.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Zaltan: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Zaltan

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Zaltan

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Zaltan

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Zaltan

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Zaltan

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Zaltan

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Zaltan

–

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $16 in Zaltan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $117 – making Zaltan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇱🇾 Zaltan

🕒 Local time

23:43 11:43 PM

06:43 6:43 AM

7 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

17,000

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Libyan Dinar LYD ل.د

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

1 LYD = 0.156 USD

1 LYD = 0.14 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LYD, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Libyan Dinar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 6.41 LYD (1 LYD = 0.156 USD). 1 EUR = 7.16 LYD (1 LYD = 0.14 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Medellin Zaltan 9,390 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Zaltan

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 Zaltan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 345%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $553 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 $47 in Medellin and $16 in Zaltan. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 154% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Zaltan, where all-in costs run around $368, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Zaltan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $368 in Zaltan to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.