Cost of Living Comparison Between Celaya and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Celaya and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,132 in Celaya versus $1,017 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,835 in Celaya versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,538 in Celaya versus $2,188 in Medellin.

Living in Celaya is roughly 11% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Celaya 16% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.47 MX$197

$5.95 COP 20.8K

92.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.23 MX$725

$33.33 COP 116.3K

26.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.03 MX$138

$7.23 COP 25.2K

11.07%

Cappuccino

$3.02 MX$51.8

$1.63 COP 5,687

85.28%

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

$1.14 MX$19.51

$1.09 COP 3,821

4.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.08

$0.73 COP 2,548

28.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 MX$44.21

$1.74 COP 6,065

48.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$3.23 COP 11.3K

42.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 MX$28.36

$1.05 COP 3,662

57.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.32 MX$39.78

$1.29 COP 4,515

79.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 MX$26.06

$1.32 COP 4,617

15.15%

Eggs

$2.03 MX$34.82

$2.27 COP 7,927

-10.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.62 MX$165

$4.35 COP 15.2K

121.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.84 MX$152

$5.88 COP 20.5K

50.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.63 MX$182

$8.61 COP 30.0K

23.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.79 MX$47.86

$2.25 COP 7,844

24.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.58

$1.07 COP 3,733

50.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 MX$30.76

$1.52 COP 5,322

17.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.91 MX$32.78

$1.42 COP 4,964

34.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 MX$35.68

$1.17 COP 4,084

77.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 MX$37.98

$1.17 COP 4,077

88.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 MX$22.51

$0.89 COP 3,096

47.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.24

$0.90 COP 3,146

5.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.04 MX$69.3

$2.25 COP 7,837

79.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 MX$259

$11.04 COP 38.5K

36.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.49

$1.14 COP 3,977

50.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 MX$60.6

$2.38 COP 8,301

48.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 MX$10.40

$0.84 COP 2,916

-27.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 MX$451

$41.95 COP 146.4K

-37.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.76 MX$13.13

$1.41 COP 4,912

-46.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 MX$26.62

$1.90 COP 6,634

-18.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.59 MX$147

$7.75 COP 27.0K

10.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.62

$1.01 COP 3,509

24.75%

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

$26.4K MX$452.3K

$17.6K COP 61.4M

49.92%

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

$21.8K MX$373.4K

$26.5K COP 92.5M

-17.90%

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

$46.54 MX$799

$83.7 COP 292.1K

-44.38%

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

$22.33 MX$383

$9.45 COP 33.0K

136.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.01 MX$361

$24.11 COP 84.1K

-12.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.54 MX$610

$25.31 COP 88.3K

40.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.81 MX$271

$19.14 COP 66.8K

-17.40%

Cinema Ticket

$4.67 MX$80.1

$4.10 COP 14.3K

13.90%

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

$218 MX$3,750

$312 COP 1.1M

-29.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,429 MX$58.9K

$5,993 COP 20.9M

-42.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.5 MX$986

$58.0 COP 202.6K

-1.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.79 MX$734

$32.56 COP 113.6K

31.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.3 MX$1,686

$99.6 COP 347.7K

-1.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.1 MX$1,254

$109 COP 378.8K

-32.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$514 MX$8,820

$482 COP 1.7M

6.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$396 MX$6,802

$379 COP 1.3M

4.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$931 MX$16.0K

$837 COP 2.9M

11.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$762 MX$13.1K

$723 COP 2.5M

5.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$869 MX$14.9K

$541 COP 1.9M

60.58%

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 Celaya: June 8, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $514 in Celaya and $482 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Celaya pays 61% 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: $42.00 in Celaya vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $190 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

Celaya vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Celaya and Medellin differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($1,132 vs $1,017 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Celaya pays 61% 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: $514 in Celaya versus $482 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $42.00 in Celaya. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,132 per month in Celaya versus $1,017 in Medellin – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,017 in Medellin versus $1,132 in Celaya, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Celaya. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Celaya. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.