Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Zouk Mikael

For one person, living is cheaper in Zouk Mikael: $987 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Zouk Mikael, Lebanon
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,692
/mo nomad
Zouk Mikael
🇱🇧 Lebanon
$987
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Zouk Mikael

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

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $987 in Zouk Mikael, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,692
  • Zouk Mikael $987

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $1,595 in Zouk Mikael, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,471
  • Zouk Mikael $1,595

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $2,203 in Zouk Mikael, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,249
  • Zouk Mikael $2,203

Medellin costs about 71% more than Zouk Mikael, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Zouk Mikael is 27% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Zouk Mikael
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.34 COP 26.9K
$12.16 LBP 1.1M
-31.41%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.53 COP 150.3K
$69.3 LBP 6.2M
-32.83%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.47 COP 30.6K
$9.93 LBP 888.5K
-4.63%
Cappuccino
$3.13 COP 10.1K
$4.60 LBP 411.6K
-31.96%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 COP 5,705
$2.39 LBP 213.8K
-25.94%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.42 COP 4,601
$0.91 LBP 81.2K
56.04%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.15 COP 10.2K
$4.86 LBP 435.2K
-35.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.70 COP 18.4K
$4.77 LBP 427.3K
19.50%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Zouk Mikael
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.53 COP 4,950
$2.00 LBP 178.6K
-23.50%
White Bread (500g)
$2.29 COP 7,401
$0.91 LBP 81.8K
151.65%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 COP 6,282
$2.25 LBP 201.7K
-13.78%
Eggs
$3.07 COP 9,905
$3.65 LBP 326.4K
-15.89%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.99 COP 32.3K
$11.28 LBP 1.0M
-11.44%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.45 COP 33.7K
$10.77 LBP 964.1K
-2.97%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.96 COP 45.1K
$15.15 LBP 1.4M
-7.85%
Apples (1kg)
$4.05 COP 13.1K
$3.15 LBP 281.6K
28.57%
Banana (1kg)
$1.53 COP 4,937
$1.66 LBP 149.0K
-7.83%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.10 COP 6,797
$1.61 LBP 144.4K
30.43%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.29 COP 7,409
$1.53 LBP 137.0K
49.67%
Potato (1kg)
$2.11 COP 6,813
$1.26 LBP 113.0K
67.46%
Onion (1kg)
$1.71 COP 5,521
$1.54 LBP 137.7K
11.04%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.17 COP 3,780
$1.20 LBP 107.8K
-2.50%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 COP 5,104
$0.68 LBP 60.9K
132.35%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.91 COP 12.6K
$3.06 LBP 273.6K
27.78%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.04 COP 45.4K
$11.16 LBP 998.4K
25.81%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.76 COP 5,690
$1.27 LBP 114.0K
38.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.71 COP 8,760
$2.46 LBP 219.9K
10.16%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Zouk Mikael
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.18 COP 3,811
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.3 COP 246.4K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.81 COP 5,836
$5.01 LBP 448.5K
-63.87%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.13 COP 6,878
$2.23 LBP 200.0K
-4.48%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.13 COP 26.3K
$22.15 LBP 2.0M
-63.30%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.28 COP 4,119
$1.06 LBP 94.9K
20.75%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.4K COP 111.2M
$54.5K LBP 4.9B
-36.82%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.1K COP 110.3M
$33.1K LBP 3.0B
3.26%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Zouk Mikael
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$178 COP 574.1K
$213 LBP 19.1M
-16.57%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.89 COP 44.9K
$23.91 LBP 2.1M
-41.91%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.74 COP 99.3K
$37.23 LBP 3.3M
-17.43%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Zouk Mikael
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.94 COP 135.5K
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.80 COP 54.3K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.47 COP 24.1K
$10.05 LBP 899.5K
-25.67%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Zouk Mikael
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$790 COP 2.6M
$689 LBP 61.7M
14.69%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.3K COP 39.7M
$10.6K LBP 945.1M
16.45%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Zouk Mikael
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.3 COP 278.9K
$66.6 LBP 6.0M
29.68%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$59.3 COP 191.4K
$48.75 LBP 4.4M
21.56%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$138 COP 446.9K
$142 LBP 12.7M
-2.26%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.8 COP 319.2K
$118 LBP 10.5M
-16.10%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Zouk Mikael
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,341 COP 4.3M
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$667 COP 2.2M
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,976 COP 6.4M
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,033 COP 3.3M
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,098 COP 13.2M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,940 COP 6.3M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Zouk Mikael
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$646 COP 2.1M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
11
-0.55%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Zouk Mikael: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$667
Zouk Mikael
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$307
Zouk Mikael
$279 9.2% $28
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$222
Zouk Mikael
$274 23.3% $52
Eating Out
Medellin
$173
Zouk Mikael
$229 32.8% $57
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$172
Zouk Mikael
$169 2.1% $3.7
Getting Around
Medellin
$93
Zouk Mikael
$16 * 82.7% $77
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$57
Zouk Mikael
$20 * 64.7% $37

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 $69 in Zouk Mikael. Groceries tell a different story – $307 in Medellin vs $279 in Zouk Mikael – so Zouk Mikael wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇱🇧 Zouk Mikael
🕒 Local time
05:38 5:38 AM
12:38 12:38 PM
7 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
96,315
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

LBP, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3,230 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,628 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

Lebanese Pound exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 89,500 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1.12 USD). 1 EUR = 100,517 LBP (1,000,000 LBP = 9.95 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Zouk Mikael 11,530 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Zouk Mikael

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 Zouk Mikael: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Zouk Mikael cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 71%, 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 $2,538 per month in Medellin and $1,481 in Zouk Mikael. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Zouk Mikael?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $69 in Zouk Mikael. 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 Zouk Mikael?
Groceries cost about 10% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is it better to live in Medellin or in Zouk Mikael?
It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $987 in Zouk Mikael to $1,692 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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