Cost of Living Comparison Between Cozumel and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Cozumel and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,145 in Cozumel versus $1,017 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,350 in Cozumel versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,556 in Cozumel versus $2,188 in Medellin.

Living in Cozumel is roughly 13% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cozumel 15% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.61 MX$148

$5.95 COP 20.8K

44.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.87 MX$736

$33.33 COP 116.3K

28.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 MX$133

$7.23 COP 25.2K

7.33%

Cappuccino

$3.06 MX$52.5

$1.63 COP 5,687

87.73%

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

$1.21 MX$20.76

$1.09 COP 3,821

11.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.37

$0.73 COP 2,548

46.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.80 MX$30.90

$1.74 COP 6,065

3.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 MX$65.2

$3.23 COP 11.3K

17.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.36

$1.05 COP 3,662

29.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 MX$26.58

$1.29 COP 4,515

20.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.82

$1.32 COP 4,617

13.64%

Eggs

$1.93 MX$33.21

$2.27 COP 7,927

-14.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.31 MX$177

$4.35 COP 15.2K

137.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.82 MX$117

$5.88 COP 20.5K

15.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.19 MX$192

$8.61 COP 30.0K

29.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 MX$40.29

$2.25 COP 7,844

4.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 MX$24.32

$1.07 COP 3,733

32.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$36.57

$1.52 COP 5,322

40.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 MX$25.70

$1.42 COP 4,964

5.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 MX$36.06

$1.17 COP 4,084

79.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.96

$1.17 COP 4,077

64.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.43

$0.89 COP 3,096

20.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.09

$0.90 COP 3,146

4.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.24 MX$72.7

$2.25 COP 7,837

88.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.35 MX$195

$11.04 COP 38.5K

2.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 MX$22.59

$1.14 COP 3,977

15.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 MX$49.50

$2.38 COP 8,301

21.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 MX$10.53

$0.84 COP 2,916

-27.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 MX$40.67

$1.41 COP 4,912

68.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$42.76

$1.90 COP 6,634

31.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.56 MX$113

$7.75 COP 27.0K

-15.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.64

$1.01 COP 3,509

24.75%

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

$15.8K MX$271.2K

$17.6K COP 61.4M

-10.13%

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

$21.1K MX$361.5K

$26.5K COP 92.5M

-20.50%

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

$50.5 MX$867

$83.7 COP 292.1K

-39.63%

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

$21.65 MX$372

$9.45 COP 33.0K

129.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.87 MX$375

$24.11 COP 84.1K

-9.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.31 MX$623

$25.31 COP 88.3K

43.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.25 MX$365

$19.14 COP 66.8K

11.02%

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 MX$78.0

$4.10 COP 14.3K

10.73%

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

$394 MX$6,762

$312 COP 1.1M

26.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,540 MX$60.8K

$5,993 COP 20.9M

-40.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 MX$956

$58.0 COP 202.6K

-4.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.87 MX$822

$32.56 COP 113.6K

47.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.0 MX$1,562

$99.6 COP 347.7K

-8.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.5 MX$1,467

$109 COP 378.8K

-21.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$705 MX$12.1K

$482 COP 1.7M

46.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$478 MX$8,200

$379 COP 1.3M

25.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,552 MX$26.6K

$837 COP 2.9M

85.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 MX$34.6K

$723 COP 2.5M

178.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,460 MX$25.1K

$2,840 COP 9.9M

-48.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,864 MX$32.0K

$1,223 COP 4.3M

52.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$688 MX$11.8K

$541 COP 1.9M

27.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.68

13.43

-13.03%

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

Last update for Cozumel: June 6, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $705 in Cozumel and $482 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cozumel pays 27% 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: $43.00 in Cozumel vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $238 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

Cozumel vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cozumel and Medellin differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($1,145 vs $1,017 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Cozumel pays 27% 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: $705 in Cozumel versus $482 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Cozumel. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,145 per month in Cozumel versus $1,017 in Medellin – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,017 in Medellin versus $1,145 in Cozumel, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Cozumel. 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.

Safety-wise, Cozumel 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 13% less than in Cozumel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.