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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,398 per month in San Lorenzo vs $1,017 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,076 per month in San Lorenzo vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,754 per month in San Lorenzo vs $2,188 in Medellin, rent included.

San Lorenzo costs about 38% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

San Lorenzo sits 4% above the global median, while Medellin is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.96 $11.96

$5.95 COP 21.2K

101.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.4 $81.4

$33.33 COP 118.9K

144.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 $9.42

$7.23 COP 25.8K

30.29%

Cappuccino

$3.68 $3.68

$1.63 COP 5,811

125.77%

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

$1.76 $1.76

$1.09 COP 3,904

61.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 $1.38

$0.73 COP 2,604

89.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.74 COP 6,197

75.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.47 $4.47

$3.23 COP 11.5K

38.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.41 $2.41

$1.05 COP 3,742

129.52%

White Bread (500g)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.29 COP 4,614

168.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 $2.25

$1.32 COP 4,718

70.45%

Eggs

$6.16 $6.16

$2.27 COP 8,101

171.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.84 $8.84

$4.35 COP 15.5K

103.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.24 $8.24

$5.88 COP 21.0K

40.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.81 $12.81

$8.61 COP 30.7K

48.78%

Apples (1kg)

$5.83 $5.83

$2.25 COP 8,015

159.11%

Banana (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$1.07 COP 3,814

157.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.99 $3.99

$1.52 COP 5,438

162.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 $3.95

$1.42 COP 5,073

178.17%

Potato (1kg)

$3.94 $3.94

$1.17 COP 4,173

236.75%

Onion (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.17 COP 4,166

163.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.96 $2.96

$0.89 COP 3,163

232.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 $2.00

$0.90 COP 3,215

122.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.79 $11.79

$2.25 COP 8,008

424.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.53 $15.53

$11.04 COP 39.4K

40.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.14 COP 4,063

114.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.38 COP 8,483

33.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,979

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 149.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 5,019

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.90 COP 6,779

-20.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.96 $14.96

$7.75 COP 27.6K

93.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.01 COP 3,586

-5.94%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$17.6K COP 62.7M

104.62%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.5K COP 94.5M

0.83%

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

$478 $478

$83.7 COP 298.4K

471.24%

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

$78.6 $78.6

$9.45 COP 33.7K

731.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.9 $73.9

$24.11 COP 86.0K

206.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 90.3K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 68.3K

Cinema Ticket

$11.99 $11.99

$4.10 COP 14.6K

192.44%

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

$463 $463

$312 COP 1.1M

48.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.5K $10.5K

$5,993 COP 21.4M

75.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.35 $46.35

$58.0 COP 207.0K

-20.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 $56.7

$32.56 COP 116.1K

74.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.6 $89.6

$99.6 COP 355.3K

-10.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 $107

$109 COP 387.1K

-1.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,834 $1,834

$837 COP 3.0M

118.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.6M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 10.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.71

13.43

-57.48%

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

Last update for San Lorenzo: June 7, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81.0 in San Lorenzo versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $383 vs $190 – making Medellin 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

San Lorenzo vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – San Lorenzo is pricier by about 38%, 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 $2,097 per month in San Lorenzo and $1,525 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $81.0 in San Lorenzo and $33.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 102% more in San Lorenzo, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,017, than in San Lorenzo at $1,398. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Lorenzo it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Medellin – 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 Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, San Lorenzo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.