Cost of Living Comparison Between Acapulco and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Acapulco and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $974 per month in Acapulco vs $1,031 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,448 per month in Acapulco vs $1,599 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,921 per month in Acapulco vs $2,167 in Medellin, rent included.

Acapulco is about 5% cheaper than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Acapulco and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – Acapulco 27% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.66 MX$187

$6.16 COP 20.1K

73.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.14 MX$564

$32.60 COP 106.1K

-1.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.30 MX$198

$7.34 COP 23.9K

53.95%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$63.3

$1.72 COP 5,600

109.88%

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

$1.83 MX$32.12

$1.05 COP 3,420

74.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 MX$28.61

$0.77 COP 2,515

111.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.68 MX$46.93

$1.69 COP 5,488

58.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.72 MX$82.8

$3.17 COP 10.3K

48.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$28.20

$1.05 COP 3,423

53.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.18 MX$55.8

$1.30 COP 4,236

144.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 MX$27.19

$1.40 COP 4,544

10.71%

Eggs

$1.75 MX$30.64

$2.16 COP 7,047

-18.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.37 MX$112

$4.39 COP 14.3K

45.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.16 MX$143

$5.88 COP 19.1K

38.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.45 MX$183

$8.64 COP 28.1K

20.95%

Apples (1kg)

$4.37 MX$76.7

$2.28 COP 7,426

91.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.97

$1.11 COP 3,604

54.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.22 MX$56.6

$1.53 COP 4,983

110.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.09 MX$54.2

$1.35 COP 4,410

128.89%

Potato (1kg)

$3.26 MX$57.3

$1.13 COP 3,674

188.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.80 MX$49.12

$1.13 COP 3,692

147.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 MX$21.12

$0.85 COP 2,753

41.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 MX$14.22

$0.91 COP 2,975

-10.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.79 MX$137

$2.34 COP 7,630

232.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.74 MX$118

$12.37 COP 40.3K

-45.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.88

$1.20 COP 3,909

-10.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 MX$46.12

$2.49 COP 8,104

5.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.73 MX$12.84

$0.84 COP 2,728

-13.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.21 MX$73.8

$1.42 COP 4,623

196.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 MX$27.31

$1.92 COP 6,235

-18.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.48 MX$149

$7.66 COP 24.9K

10.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$23.22

$0.99 COP 3,223

33.33%

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

$21.5K MX$377.5K

$18.0K COP 58.7M

19.37%

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

$22.9K MX$401.1K

$26.6K COP 86.7M

-14.12%

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

$38.62 MX$677

$80.8 COP 263.1K

-52.21%

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

$22.48 MX$394

$9.95 COP 32.4K

125.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.00 MX$368

$24.18 COP 78.7K

-13.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.38 MX$322

$25.08 COP 81.7K

-26.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.97 MX$228

$19.15 COP 62.3K

-32.27%

Cinema Ticket

$3.74 MX$65.6

$3.98 COP 13.0K

-6.03%

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

$156 MX$2,732

$305 COP 993.5K

-48.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,663 MX$64.2K

$6,059 COP 19.7M

-39.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.1 MX$1,106

$58.1 COP 189.2K

8.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.08 MX$756

$32.20 COP 104.8K

33.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$1,893

$101 COP 327.9K

7.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.2 MX$1,389

$108 COP 350.8K

-26.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$495 MX$8,691

$477 COP 1.6M

3.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$236 MX$4,146

$376 COP 1.2M

-37.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$921 MX$16.2K

$845 COP 2.7M

9.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$248 MX$4,357

$730 COP 2.4M

-65.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$479 MX$8,393

$617 COP 2.0M

-22.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.5

13.43

-14.37%

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

Last update for Acapulco: July 11, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $495 in Acapulco versus $477 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 29% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Acapulco versus $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $267 in Acapulco vs $193 in Medellin – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Acapulco vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 6% more than Acapulco, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,461 per month in Acapulco and $1,546 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Acapulco, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $974 in Acapulco and $1,031 in Medellin. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $156 per month in Acapulco and $305 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Acapulco, where all-in costs run around $974, than in Medellin at $1,031. In Acapulco it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Acapulco costs $974 versus $1,031 in Medellin. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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