Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Zliten

For one person, living is cheaper in Zliten: $362 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.

Medellin, Colombia
Zliten, Libya
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Zliten
🇱🇾 Libya
$362
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Zliten

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $362 in Zliten, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Zliten $362

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $550 in Zliten, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Zliten $550

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $739 in Zliten, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Zliten $739

Medellin costs about 353% more than Zliten, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Zliten
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 26.1K
$3.98 LYD 25.56
103.27%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 151.9K
$12.37 LYD 79.3
280.36%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.7K
$2.72 LYD 17.45
249.26%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$0.45 LYD 2.90
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$0.67 LYD 4.31
-
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,735
$0.40 LYD 2.58
652.50%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,809
$0.38 LYD 2.42
373.68%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,561
$0.10 LYD 0.66
1310.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 10.3K
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.6K
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Zliten
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,876
$0.82 LYD 5.23
84.15%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,678
$0.22 LYD 1.41
981.82%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,720
$0.79 LYD 5.07
124.05%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,333
$1.10 LYD 7.06
162.73%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.9K
$5.12 LYD 32.84
99.02%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.9K
$2.86 LYD 18.35
245.10%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 45.2K
$8.99 LYD 57.7
55.62%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.8K
$2.22 LYD 14.25
78.83%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 5,012
$1.48 LYD 9.47
4.73%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,048
$0.74 LYD 4.78
194.59%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,051
$0.56 LYD 3.61
289.29%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,337
$0.71 LYD 4.57
176.06%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,132
$0.49 LYD 3.11
224.49%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,699
$0.43 LYD 2.74
167.44%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 4,014
$0.17 LYD 1.09
629.41%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$1.77 LYD 11.35
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$0.95 LYD 6.07
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$0.85 LYD 5.43
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.8K
$1.92 LYD 12.29
106.25%
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
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Zliten
Difference
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
$0.82 LYD 5.25
54.88%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,612
$0.48 LYD 3.08
327.08%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 27.6K
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,349
$0.02 LYD 0.13
6650.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 110.0M
$23.3K LYD 149.2K
46.49%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 111.9M
$21.5K LYD 138.0K
61.11%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Zliten
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 547.8K
$94.2 LYD 604
80.08%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 43.8K
$6.21 LYD 39.85
118.20%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 90.6K
$26.80 LYD 172
4.74%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Zliten
Difference
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
-
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Zliten
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.6M
$53.4 LYD 342
1392.93%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 29.4M
$1,535 LYD 9,845
493.67%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Zliten
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 273.5K
$22.47 LYD 144
277.04%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 187.2K
$17.43 LYD 112
232.53%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 435.8K
$64.9 LYD 416
107.95%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 316.0K
$66.6 LYD 427
46.89%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Zliten
Difference
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
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Zliten
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
0
-

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Zliten: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Zliten
–
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Zliten
–
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Zliten
–
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Zliten
–
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Zliten
–
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Zliten
–
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Zliten
–

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $12 in Zliten. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $107 – making Zliten the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇱🇾 Zliten
🕒 Local time
03:07 3:07 AM
10:07 10:07 AM
7 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
240,000
💱 Currency
Libyan Dinar LYD ل.د
Exchange rates and currency converter

LYD, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Zliten 9,650 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Zliten

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 Zliten: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Zliten cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 353%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $542 in Zliten. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Zliten?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $12 in Zliten. 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 Zliten?
Groceries cost about 177% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is $1,200 a realistic budget for living in Medellin or in Zliten?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Zliten, where all-in costs run around $362, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Zliten it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is it better to live in Medellin or in Zliten?
It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $362 in Zliten to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Medellin vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?