Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ajijic and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Ajijic: $1,327 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

63

Cost of Living Index in Ajijic
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Ajijic Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Ajijic

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,327

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ajijic 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 Ajijic and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,327 per month in Ajijic vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Ajijic $1,327
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $2,083 per month in Ajijic vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Ajijic $2,083
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $2,840 per month in Ajijic vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Ajijic $2,840
Medellin $3,186

Ajijic is about 19% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Ajijic sits 3% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.36 MX$176

$8.09 COP 26.1K

15.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.80 MX$804

$47.05 COP 151.9K

-9.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.89 MX$130

$9.50 COP 30.7K

-27.47%

Cappuccino

$3.53 MX$66.4

$3.01 COP 9,735

17.28%

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

$1.58 MX$29.63

$1.80 COP 5,809

-12.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$21.78

$1.41 COP 4,561

-17.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.18 MX$41.03

$3.18 COP 10.3K

-31.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 MX$61.8

$5.75 COP 18.6K

-42.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$26.84

$1.51 COP 4,876

-5.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.18 MX$41.00

$2.38 COP 7,678

-8.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.09 MX$20.58

$1.77 COP 5,720

-38.42%

Eggs

$2.25 MX$42.24

$2.89 COP 9,333

-22.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.96 MX$150

$10.19 COP 32.9K

-21.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.19 MX$154

$9.87 COP 31.9K

-17.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.07 MX$133

$13.99 COP 45.2K

-49.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.17 MX$40.80

$3.97 COP 12.8K

-45.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 MX$24.51

$1.55 COP 5,012

-16.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 MX$28.65

$2.18 COP 7,048

-30.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 MX$31.51

$2.18 COP 7,051

-22.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 MX$28.28

$1.96 COP 6,337

-22.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.39 MX$26.05

$1.59 COP 5,132

-12.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 MX$19.18

$1.15 COP 3,699

-11.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$16.53

$1.24 COP 4,014

-29.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 MX$83.3

$3.96 COP 12.8K

11.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.58 MX$161

$13.68 COP 44.2K

-37.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 MX$28.20

$1.66 COP 5,359

-9.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 MX$24.37

$2.26 COP 7,291

-42.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 MX$12.70

$1.17 COP 3,771

-41.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.9 MX$1,088

$77.4 COP 249.8K

-25.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.24 MX$23.33

$1.27 COP 4,094

-2.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.23 MX$79.4

$2.05 COP 6,612

106.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.75 MX$202

$8.55 COP 27.6K

25.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 MX$27.73

$1.35 COP 4,349

9.63%

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

$24.6K MX$463.2K

$34.1K COP 110.0M

-27.66%

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

$23.6K MX$444.3K

$34.7K COP 111.9M

-31.81%

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

$55.2 MX$1,038

$170 COP 547.8K

-67.44%

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

$14.17 MX$266

$13.55 COP 43.8K

4.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.59 MX$462

$28.07 COP 90.6K

-12.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.01 MX$451

$43.70 COP 141.1K

-45.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.27 MX$99.1

$17.19 COP 55.5K

-69.34%

Cinema Ticket

$4.77 MX$89.6

$6.91 COP 22.3K

-30.97%

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

$211 MX$3,967

$797 COP 2.6M

-73.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,800 MX$52.6K

$9,112 COP 29.4M

-69.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.69 MX$802

$84.7 COP 273.5K

-49.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.24 MX$305

$58.0 COP 187.2K

-71.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.4 MX$1,249

$135 COP 435.8K

-50.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.5 MX$1,307

$97.9 COP 316.0K

-28.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$844 MX$15.9K

$1,208 COP 3.9M

-30.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$644 MX$12.1K

$642 COP 2.1M

0.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,509 MX$28.4K

$2,028 COP 6.5M

-25.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,248 MX$23.5K

$1,012 COP 3.3M

23.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,324 MX$62.5K

$4,170 COP 13.5M

-20.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,782 MX$33.5K

$1,910 COP 6.2M

-6.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$548 MX$10.3K

$657 COP 2.1M

-16.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.2

10.94

2.38%

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

Last update for Ajijic: October 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ajijic

$644 48.6%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 0.4% $2.7

Groceries & Markets

Ajijic

$218 16.4%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 36.3% $79

Eating Out

Ajijic

$166 12.5%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 1.9% $3.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ajijic

$94 7.1%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 125% $117

Clothing & Footwear

Ajijic

$88 6.6%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 92.7% $81

Getting Around

Ajijic

$83 6.3%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 12.8% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Ajijic

$34 2.5%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 71.5% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $844 in Ajijic 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.

Salaries run about 20% 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 $43 in Ajijic versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $218 vs $297 – making Ajijic the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Ajijic

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

01:02 1:02 AM

02:02 2:02 AM

1 h ahead of Ajijic

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,439

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Ajijic Medellin 3,370 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Ajijic
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

Ajijic vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 24%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,990 per month in Ajijic 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 Ajijic, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $844 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in Ajijic and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,327 in Ajijic and $1,639 in Medellin. That makes Ajijic about 19% cheaper.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ajijic, where all-in costs run around $1,327, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Ajijic it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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