Cost of Living Comparison Between Ciudad Obregon and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Ciudad Obregon and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,058 in Ciudad Obregon versus $1,017 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,660 in Ciudad Obregon versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,263 in Ciudad Obregon versus $2,188 in Medellin.

Living in Ciudad Obregon is roughly 4% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ciudad Obregon 21% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.53 MX$181

$5.95 COP 20.8K

76.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.88 MX$599

$33.33 COP 116.3K

4.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.81 MX$117

$7.23 COP 25.2K

-5.81%

Cappuccino

$2.24 MX$38.44

$1.63 COP 5,687

37.42%

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

$0.74 MX$12.63

$1.09 COP 3,821

-32.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 MX$9.15

$0.73 COP 2,548

-27.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.33 MX$22.83

$1.74 COP 6,065

-23.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 MX$31.56

$3.23 COP 11.3K

-43.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 MX$28.23

$1.05 COP 3,662

56.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.05 MX$35.18

$1.29 COP 4,515

58.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 MX$24.47

$1.32 COP 4,617

8.33%

Eggs

$2.21 MX$38.00

$2.27 COP 7,927

-2.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.95 MX$85.0

$4.35 COP 15.2K

13.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.18 MX$89.0

$5.88 COP 20.5K

-11.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.31 MX$160

$8.61 COP 30.0K

8.13%

Apples (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.43

$2.25 COP 7,844

-24.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 MX$30.27

$1.07 COP 3,733

64.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 MX$28.74

$1.52 COP 5,322

9.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 MX$26.93

$1.42 COP 4,964

10.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 MX$29.93

$1.17 COP 4,084

48.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 MX$29.84

$1.17 COP 4,077

48.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.71

$0.89 COP 3,096

15.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 MX$24.45

$0.90 COP 3,146

57.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 MX$66.9

$2.25 COP 7,837

73.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.51 MX$180

$11.04 COP 38.5K

-4.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 MX$33.30

$1.14 COP 3,977

70.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 MX$46.12

$2.38 COP 8,301

13.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 MX$11.24

$0.84 COP 2,916

-21.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.56 MX$26.77

$1.41 COP 4,912

10.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 MX$27.42

$1.90 COP 6,634

-15.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.16 MX$140

$7.75 COP 27.0K

5.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.58

$1.01 COP 3,509

24.75%

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

$16.9K MX$290.9K

$17.6K COP 61.4M

-3.58%

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

$23.2K MX$397.8K

$26.5K COP 92.5M

-12.53%

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

$102 MX$1,746

$83.7 COP 292.1K

21.56%

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

$22.52 MX$387

$9.45 COP 33.0K

138.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.64 MX$457

$24.11 COP 84.1K

10.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.31 MX$623

$25.31 COP 88.3K

43.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.71 MX$270

$19.14 COP 66.8K

-17.92%

Cinema Ticket

$3.59 MX$61.6

$4.10 COP 14.3K

-12.44%

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

$285 MX$4,898

$312 COP 1.1M

-8.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,709 MX$80.8K

$5,993 COP 20.9M

-21.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.12 MX$723

$58.0 COP 202.6K

-27.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.32 MX$538

$32.56 COP 113.6K

-3.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.2 MX$1,102

$99.6 COP 347.7K

-35.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$63.5 MX$1,091

$109 COP 378.8K

-41.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$512 MX$8,781

$482 COP 1.7M

6.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 MX$6,741

$379 COP 1.3M

3.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.3K

$837 COP 2.9M

13.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$772 MX$13.3K

$723 COP 2.5M

6.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,980 MX$34.0K

$2,840 COP 9.9M

-30.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,233 MX$21.2K

$1,223 COP 4.3M

0.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,224 MX$21.0K

$541 COP 1.9M

126.27%

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 Ciudad Obregon: June 7, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $512 in Ciudad Obregon and $482 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ciudad Obregon pays 126% 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: $35.00 in Ciudad Obregon vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $220 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

Ciudad Obregon vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Ciudad Obregon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Ciudad Obregon pays 126% 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: $512 in Ciudad Obregon versus $482 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $285 in Ciudad Obregon versus $312 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $35.00 in Ciudad Obregon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,017 in Medellin versus $1,058 in Ciudad Obregon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Ciudad Obregon. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,017 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ciudad Obregon 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 4% less than in Ciudad Obregon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.