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: $1,153 in Cozumel versus $1,034 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,377 in Cozumel versus $1,577 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,601 in Cozumel versus $2,120 in Medellin.

Living in Cozumel is roughly 12% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cozumel 14% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.49 MX$149

$5.92 COP 21.4K

43.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.28 MX$740

$32.75 COP 118.2K

29.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.77 MX$136

$7.20 COP 26.0K

7.92%

Cappuccino

$3.12 MX$54.5

$1.70 COP 6,140

83.53%

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

$1.21 MX$21.16

$1.10 COP 3,966

10.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.10 MX$19.33

$0.72 COP 2,605

52.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.87 MX$32.66

$1.67 COP 6,022

11.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 MX$64.4

$3.10 COP 11.2K

18.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$25.19

$1.06 COP 3,809

35.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 MX$28.25

$1.25 COP 4,497

28.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 MX$26.56

$1.39 COP 5,022

9.35%

Eggs

$1.99 MX$34.88

$2.26 COP 8,168

-11.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.37 MX$181

$4.33 COP 15.6K

139.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.14 MX$125

$5.84 COP 21.1K

22.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.32 MX$198

$8.83 COP 31.9K

28.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.42 MX$42.39

$2.24 COP 8,099

8.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 MX$23.68

$1.08 COP 3,882

25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 MX$37.34

$1.53 COP 5,522

39.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.20

$1.37 COP 4,950

5.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.66

$1.13 COP 4,078

90.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.68

$1.12 COP 4,036

66.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MX$18.83

$0.85 COP 3,057

27.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 MX$16.26

$0.91 COP 3,281

2.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.20 MX$73.5

$2.33 COP 8,414

80.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.60 MX$203

$11.13 COP 40.2K

4.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 MX$23.84

$1.19 COP 4,309

14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 MX$48.02

$2.37 COP 8,553

15.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 MX$11.50

$0.79 COP 2,838

-16.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.34 MX$40.89

$1.44 COP 5,184

62.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$42.04

$1.91 COP 6,901

25.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.77 MX$119

$8.02 COP 28.9K

-15.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.77

$0.94 COP 3,385

38.30%

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

$15.8K MX$275.8K

$17.9K COP 64.7M

-12.07%

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

$21.1K MX$368.5K

$26.8K COP 96.7M

-21.40%

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

$50.8 MX$888

$84.0 COP 303.1K

-39.54%

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

$22.36 MX$391

$9.60 COP 34.7K

132.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.36 MX$391

$24.16 COP 87.2K

-7.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.54 MX$657

$25.88 COP 93.4K

45.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.44 MX$375

$19.04 COP 68.7K

12.61%

Cinema Ticket

$4.59 MX$80.3

$3.92 COP 14.1K

17.09%

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

$388 MX$6,792

$306 COP 1.1M

26.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,447 MX$60.3K

$5,919 COP 21.4M

-41.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 MX$974

$57.9 COP 209.1K

-3.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.39 MX$847

$31.82 COP 114.9K

52.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.0 MX$1,574

$99.9 COP 360.6K

-9.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.0 MX$1,453

$107 COP 386.8K

-22.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$708 MX$12.4K

$487 COP 1.8M

45.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$481 MX$8,415

$368 COP 1.3M

30.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,535 MX$26.9K

$826 COP 3.0M

85.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 MX$35.5K

$716 COP 2.6M

183.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,426 MX$25.0K

$2,925 COP 10.6M

-51.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,856 MX$32.5K

$1,407 COP 5.1M

31.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$699 MX$12.2K

$546 COP 2.0M

28.21%

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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $708 in Cozumel and $487 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cozumel pays 28% 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 Cozumel vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $242 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 12% in total monthly costs ($1,153 vs $1,034 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Cozumel pays 28% 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: $708 in Cozumel versus $487 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Cozumel. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,153 per month in Cozumel versus $1,034 in Medellin – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,034 in Medellin versus $1,153 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 12% less than in Cozumel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.