Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Acuna and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Acuna: $1,253 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Acuna
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Acuna Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Acuna

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,253

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Acuna and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Acuna and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,253 per month in Acuna vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Acuna $1,253
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $1,864 per month in Acuna vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Acuna $1,864
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $2,474 per month in Acuna vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Acuna $2,474
Medellin $3,186

Acuna is about 24% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Acuna sits 8% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.17 MX$228

$8.09 COP 26.1K

50.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.48 MX$852

$47.05 COP 151.9K

-3.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.33 MX$175

$9.50 COP 30.7K

-1.79%

Cappuccino

$3.11 MX$58.3

$3.01 COP 9,734

3.32%

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

$1.24 MX$23.31

$1.80 COP 5,809

-31.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.05 MX$19.65

$1.41 COP 4,560

-25.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 MX$40.45

$3.18 COP 10.3K

-32.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.60 MX$86.2

$5.75 COP 18.6K

-20.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.81 MX$33.83

$1.51 COP 4,875

19.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 MX$47.22

$2.38 COP 7,677

5.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 MX$30.33

$1.77 COP 5,719

-8.47%

Eggs

$2.39 MX$44.87

$2.89 COP 9,332

-17.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.96 MX$149

$10.19 COP 32.9K

-21.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.37 MX$176

$9.87 COP 31.9K

-5.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.98 MX$224

$13.99 COP 45.2K

-14.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 MX$50.9

$3.97 COP 12.8K

-31.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 MX$31.77

$1.55 COP 5,011

9.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$35.11

$2.18 COP 7,047

-14.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 MX$37.08

$2.18 COP 7,050

-9.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$35.96

$1.96 COP 6,336

-2.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.84 MX$34.53

$1.59 COP 5,131

15.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 MX$24.87

$1.15 COP 3,698

15.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$20.48

$1.24 COP 4,014

-12.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$79.8

$3.96 COP 12.8K

7.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.22 MX$192

$13.68 COP 44.2K

-25.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 MX$37.56

$1.66 COP 5,359

20.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 MX$56.4

$2.26 COP 7,290

33.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 MX$12.12

$1.17 COP 3,770

-44.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.55 MX$516

$77.4 COP 249.8K

-64.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 MX$50.1

$1.27 COP 4,094

110.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.11 MX$39.47

$2.05 COP 6,611

2.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.20 MX$229

$8.55 COP 27.6K

42.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$24.64

$1.35 COP 4,348

-2.96%

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

$24.1K MX$451.9K

$34.1K COP 110.0M

-29.21%

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

$25.9K MX$486.0K

$34.7K COP 111.9M

-25.20%

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

$52.0 MX$974

$170 COP 547.7K

-69.37%

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

$23.24 MX$436

$13.55 COP 43.7K

71.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.42 MX$570

$28.07 COP 90.6K

8.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.64 MX$518

$43.70 COP 141.1K

-36.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.05 MX$319

$17.19 COP 55.5K

-0.81%

Cinema Ticket

$4.65 MX$87.2

$6.91 COP 22.3K

-32.71%

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

$235 MX$4,400

$797 COP 2.6M

-70.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,016 MX$94.0K

$9,112 COP 29.4M

-44.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.07 MX$882

$84.7 COP 273.5K

-44.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.57 MX$835

$58.0 COP 187.1K

-23.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,938

$135 COP 435.7K

-23.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.9 MX$1,440

$97.9 COP 316.0K

-21.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$657 MX$12.3K

$1,208 COP 3.9M

-45.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$482 MX$9,029

$642 COP 2.1M

-24.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,091 MX$20.5K

$2,028 COP 6.5M

-46.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 MX$12.2K

$1,012 COP 3.3M

-35.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,120 MX$39.7K

$4,170 COP 13.5M

-49.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,272 MX$23.8K

$1,910 COP 6.2M

-33.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.31

10.94

3.38%

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

Last update for Acuna: October 24, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Acuna

$482 38.4%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 33.1% $160

Groceries & Markets

Acuna

$271 21.7%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 9.4% $26

Eating Out

Acuna

$192 15.3%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 11.6% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Acuna

$122 9.8%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 38.1% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Acuna

$106 8.4%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 100% $106

Getting Around

Acuna

$43 3.5%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 116% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Acuna

$37 3%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 55.7% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $657 in Acuna versus $1,208 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in Acuna versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $271 vs $297 – making Acuna the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Acuna

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

19:55 7:55 PM

20:55 8:55 PM

1 h ahead of Acuna

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

160,225

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.34 USD

100 MXN = 4.76 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 21 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,619 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Acuna Medellin 3,690 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Acuna
Medellin

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

Acuna vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 31%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,880 per month in Acuna and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Acuna, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $657 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,253 in Acuna and $1,639 in Medellin. That makes Acuna about 24% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 64% less in Acuna. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Acuna, where all-in costs run around $1,253, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Acuna it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Acuna – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Acuna is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 24% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.