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: $1,069 in Ciudad Obregon versus $1,003 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,654 in Ciudad Obregon versus $1,573 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,240 in Ciudad Obregon versus $2,143 in Medellin.

Living in Ciudad Obregon is roughly 7% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ciudad Obregon 20% lower, Medellin 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.77 MX$186

$5.91 COP 18.6K

82.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.30 MX$593

$32.96 COP 103.8K

4.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.96 MX$120

$7.43 COP 23.4K

-6.33%

Cappuccino

$2.22 MX$38.33

$1.65 COP 5,207

34.55%

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

$0.68 MX$11.81

$1.10 COP 3,468

-38.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 MX$9.37

$0.78 COP 2,458

-30.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.34 MX$23.13

$1.72 COP 5,412

-22.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 MX$32.78

$3.18 COP 10.0K

-40.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 MX$28.41

$1.10 COP 3,474

49.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 MX$35.35

$1.26 COP 3,962

61.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 MX$25.66

$1.38 COP 4,349

7.25%

Eggs

$2.26 MX$39.02

$2.18 COP 6,858

3.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.84 MX$83.8

$4.49 COP 14.1K

7.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.44 MX$94.1

$5.79 COP 18.2K

-6.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.22 MX$160

$8.97 COP 28.2K

2.79%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.33

$2.32 COP 7,308

-21.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 MX$31.66

$1.06 COP 3,352

72.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.17

$1.52 COP 4,774

14.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 MX$27.33

$1.36 COP 4,270

16.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.65

$1.13 COP 3,552

56.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.09

$1.17 COP 3,689

48.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.03 MX$17.82

$0.90 COP 2,838

14.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 MX$24.77

$0.90 COP 2,823

58.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.06 MX$70.2

$2.23 COP 7,034

82.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.55 MX$183

$12.12 COP 38.2K

-12.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 MX$34.06

$1.19 COP 3,743

65.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 MX$47.11

$2.48 COP 7,815

9.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 MX$11.18

$0.85 COP 2,687

-23.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 131.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.56 MX$26.91

$1.42 COP 4,459

9.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 MX$26.72

$1.95 COP 6,141

-21.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.36 MX$145

$7.89 COP 24.8K

5.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 MX$22.92

$0.99 COP 3,118

34.34%

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

$16.6K MX$287.1K

$17.6K COP 55.4M

-5.71%

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

$22.9K MX$395.4K

$26.8K COP 84.4M

-14.73%

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

$100 MX$1,734

$83.0 COP 261.4K

20.77%

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

$21.79 MX$377

$9.70 COP 30.5K

124.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.39 MX$457

$23.52 COP 74.1K

12.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.79 MX$619

$25.26 COP 79.5K

41.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.89 MX$275

$19.10 COP 60.1K

-16.81%

Cinema Ticket

$3.51 MX$60.8

$3.95 COP 12.4K

-11.14%

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

$288 MX$4,989

$316 COP 994.2K

-8.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,756 MX$82.3K

$5,975 COP 18.8M

-20.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.96 MX$743

$60.0 COP 188.9K

-28.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.98 MX$553

$31.82 COP 100.2K

0.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.9 MX$1,089

$102 COP 320.1K

-38.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$63.8 MX$1,104

$107 COP 338.3K

-40.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$519 MX$8,976

$475 COP 1.5M

9.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$398 MX$6,887

$374 COP 1.2M

6.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 MX$15.8K

$849 COP 2.7M

7.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$755 MX$13.1K

$719 COP 2.3M

4.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,864 MX$32.3K

$3,265 COP 10.3M

-42.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,221 MX$21.1K

$1,441 COP 4.5M

-15.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,246 MX$21.6K

$624 COP 2.0M

99.58%

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 Ciudad Obregon: July 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $519 in Ciudad Obregon and $475 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ciudad Obregon pays 100% 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: $34.00 in Ciudad Obregon vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $223 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

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

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 7% 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.

Average pay runs 100% higher in Ciudad Obregon, 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: $519 in Ciudad Obregon versus $475 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $288 in Ciudad Obregon versus $316 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 $34.00 in Ciudad Obregon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,003 in Medellin versus $1,069 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 $1,003 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 7% less than in Ciudad Obregon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.