Cost of Living Comparison Between Colima and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Colima and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $914 in Colima versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,488 in Colima versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,062 in Colima versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Colima costs roughly 10% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Colima 32% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.24 MX$108

$5.99 COP 21.4K

4.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.19 MX$541

$32.86 COP 117.2K

-5.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.01 MX$139

$7.09 COP 25.3K

12.98%

Cappuccino

$2.14 MX$37.02

$1.71 COP 6,105

25.15%

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

$0.81 MX$14.06

$1.10 COP 3,918

-26.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 MX$9.41

$0.78 COP 2,776

-30.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.70 MX$29.52

$1.68 COP 5,987

1.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 MX$49.27

$3.07 COP 10.9K

-7.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.95

$1.09 COP 3,899

21.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 MX$43.66

$1.26 COP 4,500

100.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 MX$22.91

$1.38 COP 4,914

-4.35%

Eggs

$2.29 MX$39.64

$2.19 COP 7,813

4.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.91 MX$102

$4.40 COP 15.7K

34.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.87 MX$136

$5.63 COP 20.1K

39.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.72 MX$168

$8.89 COP 31.7K

9.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.86 MX$49.48

$2.34 COP 8,334

22.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 MX$23.39

$1.06 COP 3,771

27.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.77

$1.50 COP 5,365

-0.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.22 MX$38.48

$1.38 COP 4,915

60.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 MX$30.57

$1.15 COP 4,104

53.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.32 MX$40.21

$1.16 COP 4,148

100.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 MX$23.05

$0.89 COP 3,176

49.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.86

$0.84 COP 2,992

29.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 MX$60.9

$2.28 COP 8,131

53.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.78 MX$117

$10.64 COP 37.9K

-36.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 MX$28.18

$1.20 COP 4,276

35.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 MX$33.58

$2.47 COP 8,809

-21.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 MX$11.34

$0.86 COP 3,051

-24.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.15 MX$332

$41.40 COP 147.6K

-53.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.36 MX$40.98

$1.47 COP 5,255

60.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 MX$26.60

$1.96 COP 6,997

-21.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.43 MX$146

$7.74 COP 27.6K

8.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 MX$23.02

$0.95 COP 3,403

40.00%

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

$22.4K MX$388.0K

$18.1K COP 64.6M

23.48%

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

$21.6K MX$373.6K

$26.5K COP 94.4M

-18.60%

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

$62.6 MX$1,084

$82.3 COP 293.2K

-23.94%

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

$19.75 MX$342

$9.50 COP 33.9K

107.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.68 MX$532

$24.23 COP 86.4K

26.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.00 MX$589

$25.89 COP 92.3K

31.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.99 MX$364

$19.00 COP 67.7K

10.47%

Cinema Ticket

$4.58 MX$79.5

$3.93 COP 14.0K

16.54%

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

$142 MX$2,453

$309 COP 1.1M

-54.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,404 MX$41.7K

$5,965 COP 21.3M

-59.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.41 MX$804

$58.7 COP 209.1K

-20.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.23 MX$489

$32.35 COP 115.3K

-12.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.6 MX$1,467

$103 COP 365.7K

-17.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.2 MX$1,719

$108 COP 386.5K

-8.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$509 MX$8,814

$476 COP 1.7M

6.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$247 MX$4,282

$379 COP 1.4M

-34.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$333 MX$5,769

$838 COP 3.0M

-60.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$536 MX$9,283

$724 COP 2.6M

-26.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$300 MX$5,196

$512 COP 1.8M

-41.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.07

13.43

-17.57%

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

Last update for Colima: May 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $509 in Colima and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 71% 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: $31.00 in Colima vs $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $232 vs $188, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.

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

Colima vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Colima and Medellin differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($914 vs $1,013 including rent). Colima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Medellin earns 71% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $509 in Colima versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Colima runs roughly 116% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $142 in Colima versus $309 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $914 in Colima versus $1,013 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Colima but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Colima 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.

Safety-wise, Colima 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 Colima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.