Cost of Living Comparison Between Zahlah and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Zahlah and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,085 per month in Zahlah vs $1,017 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,703 per month in Zahlah vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,320 per month in Zahlah vs $2,188 in Medellin, rent included.

Zahlah costs about 7% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Zahlah and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – Zahlah 19% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.89 LBP 974.2K

$5.95 COP 20.8K

83.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.3 LBP 5.4M

$33.33 COP 116.3K

80.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.08 LBP 723.4K

$7.23 COP 25.2K

11.76%

Cappuccino

$3.38 LBP 302.6K

$1.63 COP 5,687

107.36%

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

$1.60 LBP 143.2K

$1.09 COP 3,821

46.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 LBP 82.0K

$0.73 COP 2,548

26.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 LBP 304.6K

$1.74 COP 6,065

95.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 LBP 181.6K

$3.23 COP 11.3K

-37.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 LBP 88.3K

$1.05 COP 3,662

-5.71%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 LBP 76.6K

$1.29 COP 4,515

-33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 LBP 163.4K

$1.32 COP 4,617

38.64%

Eggs

$3.10 LBP 277.1K

$2.27 COP 7,927

36.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.17 LBP 1.0M

$4.35 COP 15.2K

156.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.69 LBP 867.0K

$5.88 COP 20.5K

64.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.29 LBP 1.0M

$8.61 COP 30.0K

31.13%

Apples (1kg)

$1.75 LBP 156.6K

$2.25 COP 7,844

-22.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 LBP 131.1K

$1.07 COP 3,733

36.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.10 LBP 98.7K

$1.52 COP 5,322

-27.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.04 LBP 93.5K

$1.42 COP 4,964

-26.76%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 LBP 83.4K

$1.17 COP 4,084

-20.51%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 LBP 89.0K

$1.17 COP 4,077

-15.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 LBP 74.0K

$0.89 COP 3,096

-6.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 LBP 49.6K

$0.90 COP 3,146

-38.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.54 LBP 227.0K

$2.25 COP 7,837

12.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.85 LBP 881.5K

$11.04 COP 38.5K

-10.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 LBP 110.6K

$1.14 COP 3,977

8.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 LBP 200.0K

$2.38 COP 8,301

-6.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.99 LBP 446.5K

$1.41 COP 4,912

253.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 LBP 110.8K

$1.90 COP 6,634

-34.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.16 LBP 1.8M

$7.75 COP 27.0K

160.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 LBP 79.1K

$1.01 COP 3,509

-12.87%

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

$35.1K LBP 3.1B

$17.6K COP 61.4M

99.49%

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

$27.5K LBP 2.5B

$26.5K COP 92.5M

3.84%

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

$213 LBP 19.0M

$83.7 COP 292.1K

154.24%

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

$38.04 LBP 3.4M

$9.45 COP 33.0K

302.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.87 LBP 3.4M

$24.11 COP 84.1K

57.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

Cinema Ticket

$7.97 LBP 713.0K

$4.10 COP 14.3K

94.39%

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

$302 LBP 27.0M

$312 COP 1.1M

-3.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,371 LBP 391.2M

$5,993 COP 20.9M

-27.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.9 LBP 6.3M

$58.0 COP 202.6K

22.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.76 LBP 4.0M

$32.56 COP 113.6K

37.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 LBP 11.1M

$99.6 COP 347.7K

25.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.3 LBP 8.5M

$109 COP 378.8K

-12.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$197 LBP 17.6M

$379 COP 1.3M

-48.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$403 LBP 36.1M

$723 COP 2.5M

-44.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.16

13.43

-16.90%

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

Last update for Zahlah: June 8, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $60.0 in Zahlah versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $226 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

Zahlah vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Zahlah is pricier by about 7%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,628 per month in Zahlah 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 $60.0 in Zahlah 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 19% more in Zahlah, 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 Zahlah at $1,085. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Zahlah 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.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Zahlah makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.