Cost of Living Comparison Between Aguascalientes and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Aguascalientes and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,025 in Aguascalientes versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,543 in Aguascalientes versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,061 in Aguascalientes versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Aguascalientes is roughly 1% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Aguascalientes 23% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.12 MX$140

$5.99 COP 21.4K

35.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.46 MX$596

$32.86 COP 117.4K

4.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.07 MX$122

$7.09 COP 25.3K

-0.28%

Cappuccino

$3.20 MX$55.4

$1.71 COP 6,115

87.13%

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

$1.08 MX$18.72

$1.10 COP 3,924

-1.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 MX$13.84

$0.78 COP 2,781

2.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.80 MX$31.19

$1.68 COP 5,997

7.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 MX$54.5

$3.07 COP 11.0K

2.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.28

$1.09 COP 3,906

23.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.25 MX$38.86

$1.26 COP 4,508

78.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 MX$27.28

$1.38 COP 4,922

14.49%

Eggs

$1.96 MX$33.85

$2.19 COP 7,827

-10.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.97 MX$138

$4.40 COP 15.7K

81.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.16 MX$124

$5.63 COP 20.1K

27.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.66 MX$167

$8.89 COP 31.8K

8.66%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.02

$2.34 COP 8,349

-3.42%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 MX$16.72

$1.06 COP 3,777

-8.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.83 MX$14.36

$1.50 COP 5,374

-44.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 MX$24.53

$1.38 COP 4,924

2.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 MX$24.27

$1.15 COP 4,111

21.74%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 MX$16.73

$1.16 COP 4,155

-16.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 MX$15.50

$0.89 COP 3,182

1.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.39

$0.84 COP 2,997

-1.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 MX$71.6

$2.28 COP 8,145

81.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.98 MX$155

$10.64 COP 38.0K

-15.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 MX$25.98

$1.20 COP 4,284

25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 MX$46.08

$2.47 COP 8,824

7.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.59

$0.86 COP 3,056

-36.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.01 MX$381

$41.40 COP 147.9K

-46.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.07 MX$18.57

$1.47 COP 5,264

-27.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.93 MX$16.15

$1.96 COP 7,009

-52.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.24 MX$56.0

$7.74 COP 27.6K

-58.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 MX$21.51

$0.95 COP 3,409

30.53%

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

$22.2K MX$383.5K

$18.1K COP 64.7M

22.29%

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

$23.4K MX$405.2K

$26.5K COP 94.6M

-11.55%

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

$44.40 MX$768

$82.3 COP 293.7K

-46.02%

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

$20.16 MX$349

$9.50 COP 33.9K

112.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.39 MX$405

$24.23 COP 86.5K

-3.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.83 MX$447

$25.89 COP 92.4K

-0.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.83 MX$378

$19.00 COP 67.9K

14.89%

Cinema Ticket

$4.15 MX$71.8

$3.93 COP 14.0K

5.60%

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

$178 MX$3,075

$309 COP 1.1M

-42.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,589 MX$44.8K

$5,965 COP 21.3M

-56.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.1 MX$884

$58.7 COP 209.5K

-12.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.96 MX$605

$32.35 COP 115.5K

8.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.2 MX$1,474

$103 COP 366.4K

-16.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.7 MX$930

$108 COP 387.2K

-50.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$385 MX$6,663

$476 COP 1.7M

-19.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$384 MX$6,645

$379 COP 1.4M

1.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$571 MX$9,868

$838 COP 3.0M

-31.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$595 MX$10.3K

$724 COP 2.6M

-17.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,228 MX$21.2K

$2,791 COP 10.0M

-55.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,241 MX$21.5K

$1,211 COP 4.3M

2.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$920 MX$15.9K

$512 COP 1.8M

79.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.24

13.43

-16.31%

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

Last update for Aguascalientes: June 2, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $385 in Aguascalientes and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Aguascalientes pays 80% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $34.00 in Aguascalientes vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $217 vs $188 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

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

Aguascalientes vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Aguascalientes pays 80% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $385 in Aguascalientes versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 88% less than in Aguascalientes. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $178 in Aguascalientes versus $309 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,025 in Aguascalientes, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Aguascalientes. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Medellin is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Aguascalientes, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Aguascalientes and Medellin are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Aguascalientes. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.