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: $1,136 in Celaya versus $1,034 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,837 in Celaya versus $1,577 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,537 in Celaya versus $2,120 in Medellin.

Living in Celaya is roughly 10% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Celaya 15% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.50 MX$200

$5.92 COP 21.5K

94.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.27 MX$735

$32.75 COP 119.1K

29.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.80 MX$136

$7.20 COP 26.2K

8.33%

Cappuccino

$2.87 MX$49.86

$1.70 COP 6,186

68.82%

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

$1.14 MX$19.87

$1.10 COP 3,996

3.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.48

$0.72 COP 2,625

31.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.63 MX$45.68

$1.67 COP 6,067

57.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 MX$78.9

$3.10 COP 11.3K

46.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 MX$28.80

$1.06 COP 3,837

56.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 MX$39.93

$1.25 COP 4,531

83.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.44

$1.39 COP 5,060

5.04%

Eggs

$2.03 MX$35.30

$2.26 COP 8,229

-10.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.47 MX$165

$4.33 COP 15.8K

118.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.69 MX$151

$5.84 COP 21.2K

48.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.94 MX$190

$8.83 COP 32.1K

23.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 MX$51.2

$2.24 COP 8,159

31.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 MX$27.66

$1.08 COP 3,911

47.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.73

$1.53 COP 5,563

15.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.47

$1.37 COP 4,987

36.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 MX$37.86

$1.13 COP 4,109

92.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.25 MX$39.23

$1.12 COP 4,067

100.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 MX$23.27

$0.85 COP 3,080

57.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 MX$17.35

$0.91 COP 3,305

9.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.00 MX$69.5

$2.33 COP 8,477

71.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.13 MX$246

$11.13 COP 40.5K

26.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 MX$30.46

$1.19 COP 4,342

47.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 MX$60.9

$2.37 COP 8,617

47.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.48

$0.79 COP 2,859

-24.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.03 MX$453

$41.13 COP 149.6K

-36.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 MX$13.11

$1.44 COP 5,223

-47.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 MX$27.73

$1.91 COP 6,952

-16.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.83 MX$154

$8.02 COP 29.2K

10.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.83

$0.94 COP 3,410

39.36%

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

$26.1K MX$453.7K

$17.9K COP 65.2M

45.49%

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

$21.8K MX$379.1K

$26.8K COP 97.4M

-18.68%

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

$45.46 MX$791

$84.0 COP 305.4K

-45.86%

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

$22.17 MX$386

$9.60 COP 34.9K

130.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.03 MX$366

$24.16 COP 87.9K

-12.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.14 MX$629

$25.88 COP 94.1K

39.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.56 MX$271

$19.04 COP 69.3K

-18.28%

Cinema Ticket

$4.81 MX$83.8

$3.92 COP 14.2K

22.70%

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

$221 MX$3,843

$306 COP 1.1M

-27.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,370 MX$58.6K

$5,919 COP 21.5M

-43.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 MX$1,010

$57.9 COP 210.6K

0.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.04 MX$732

$31.82 COP 115.7K

32.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 MX$1,754

$99.9 COP 363.3K

0.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.2 MX$1,292

$107 COP 389.7K

-30.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$514 MX$8,940

$487 COP 1.8M

5.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$396 MX$6,896

$368 COP 1.3M

7.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$925 MX$16.1K

$826 COP 3.0M

11.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$748 MX$13.0K

$716 COP 2.6M

4.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$848 MX$14.8K

$546 COP 2.0M

55.52%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $514 in Celaya and $487 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Celaya pays 56% 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 $271 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 10% in total monthly costs ($1,136 vs $1,034 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Celaya pays 56% 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 $487 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 $1,136 per month in Celaya versus $1,034 in Medellin – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,034 in Medellin versus $1,136 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 10% less than in Celaya. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.