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: $1,016 in Aguascalientes versus $1,031 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,537 in Aguascalientes versus $1,599 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,058 in Aguascalientes versus $2,167 in Medellin.

Living in Aguascalientes costs roughly 1% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.18 MX$143

$6.16 COP 20.0K

32.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.16 MX$597

$32.60 COP 106.0K

4.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.90 MX$121

$7.34 COP 23.9K

-5.99%

Cappuccino

$3.36 MX$58.7

$1.72 COP 5,592

95.35%

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

$1.11 MX$19.49

$1.05 COP 3,416

5.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.32

$0.77 COP 2,511

6.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.83 MX$31.99

$1.69 COP 5,480

8.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 MX$55.7

$3.17 COP 10.3K

0.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.55

$1.05 COP 3,418

28.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.15 MX$37.55

$1.30 COP 4,230

65.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 MX$26.60

$1.40 COP 4,538

8.57%

Eggs

$1.95 MX$34.10

$2.16 COP 7,037

-9.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.23 MX$144

$4.39 COP 14.3K

87.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.43 MX$130

$5.88 COP 19.1K

26.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.65 MX$169

$8.64 COP 28.1K

11.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 MX$39.60

$2.28 COP 7,415

-0.88%

Banana (1kg)

$0.92 MX$16.08

$1.11 COP 3,599

-17.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.89 MX$15.52

$1.53 COP 4,976

-41.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.45 MX$25.40

$1.35 COP 4,405

7.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 MX$24.03

$1.13 COP 3,669

21.24%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 MX$16.52

$1.13 COP 3,687

-16.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 MX$16.19

$0.85 COP 2,749

9.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.27

$0.91 COP 2,971

-9.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.7

$2.34 COP 7,619

80.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.37 MX$164

$12.37 COP 40.2K

-24.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 MX$26.57

$1.20 COP 3,904

26.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 MX$47.28

$2.49 COP 8,094

8.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.67

$0.84 COP 2,724

-34.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.62 MX$396

$40.57 COP 131.9K

-44.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 MX$17.99

$1.42 COP 4,617

-27.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.94 MX$16.45

$1.92 COP 6,227

-51.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 MX$56.9

$7.66 COP 24.9K

-57.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 MX$21.74

$0.99 COP 3,219

25.25%

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

$21.6K MX$377.5K

$18.0K COP 58.6M

19.76%

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

$23.4K MX$409.7K

$26.6K COP 86.6M

-12.00%

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

$44.95 MX$786

$80.8 COP 262.7K

-44.38%

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

$20.27 MX$354

$9.95 COP 32.3K

103.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.48 MX$411

$24.18 COP 78.6K

-2.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.07 MX$438

$25.08 COP 81.5K

-0.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.91 MX$383

$19.15 COP 62.3K

14.41%

Cinema Ticket

$4.12 MX$72.1

$3.98 COP 13.0K

3.52%

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

$184 MX$3,219

$305 COP 992.2K

-39.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,607 MX$45.6K

$6,059 COP 19.7M

-56.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.1 MX$928

$58.1 COP 189.0K

-8.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.73 MX$625

$32.20 COP 104.7K

10.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.3 MX$1,473

$101 COP 327.5K

-16.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.9 MX$959

$108 COP 350.3K

-49.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,824

$477 COP 1.5M

-18.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$378 MX$6,605

$376 COP 1.2M

0.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$586 MX$10.3K

$845 COP 2.7M

-30.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 MX$10.2K

$730 COP 2.4M

-19.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,199 MX$21.0K

$3,215 COP 10.5M

-62.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,227 MX$21.5K

$1,372 COP 4.5M

-10.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$907 MX$15.9K

$617 COP 2.0M

47.07%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $390 in Aguascalientes and $477 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Aguascalientes pays 47% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $34.00 in Aguascalientes vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $219 vs $193 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

Aguascalientes is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 47% higher in Aguascalientes, 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: $390 in Aguascalientes versus $477 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Aguascalientes runs roughly 79% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $184 in Aguascalientes versus $305 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,016 in Aguascalientes versus $1,031 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Aguascalientes but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Aguascalientes the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Aguascalientes is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, 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 Aguascalientes gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.