Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuajimalpa and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuajimalpa and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,089 in Cuajimalpa versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,734 in Cuajimalpa versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,379 in Cuajimalpa versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Cuajimalpa is roughly 7% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cuajimalpa 19% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.47 MX$183

$5.99 COP 21.5K

74.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.89 MX$679

$32.86 COP 118.1K

18.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.10 MX$142

$7.09 COP 25.5K

14.25%

Cappuccino

$3.32 MX$58.1

$1.71 COP 6,154

94.15%

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

$1.29 MX$22.61

$1.10 COP 3,949

17.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 MX$16.23

$0.78 COP 2,798

19.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.37 MX$41.36

$1.68 COP 6,035

41.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 MX$69.1

$3.07 COP 11.0K

28.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.47 MX$25.71

$1.09 COP 3,930

34.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 MX$45.50

$1.26 COP 4,536

107.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 MX$28.32

$1.38 COP 4,953

17.39%

Eggs

$2.41 MX$42.03

$2.19 COP 7,876

10.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.23 MX$144

$4.40 COP 15.8K

87.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 MX$137

$5.63 COP 20.2K

39.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.43 MX$182

$8.89 COP 32.0K

17.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.67 MX$46.56

$2.34 COP 8,401

14.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.18

$1.06 COP 3,801

35.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 MX$31.43

$1.50 COP 5,408

20.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.49

$1.38 COP 4,955

13.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 MX$31.92

$1.15 COP 4,137

59.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.99

$1.16 COP 4,181

72.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 MX$21.01

$0.89 COP 3,202

34.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 MX$17.72

$0.84 COP 3,016

20.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.6

$2.28 COP 8,196

79.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 MX$190

$10.64 COP 38.2K

2.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 MX$28.39

$1.20 COP 4,311

35.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 MX$50.2

$2.47 COP 8,880

16.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 MX$11.41

$0.86 COP 3,075

-24.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 148.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 MX$46.20

$1.47 COP 5,297

80.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 MX$26.98

$1.96 COP 7,053

-21.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.11 MX$142

$7.74 COP 27.8K

4.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.99

$0.95 COP 3,430

38.95%

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

$20.9K MX$365.3K

$18.1K COP 65.2M

15.37%

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

$22.2K MX$387.6K

$26.5K COP 95.2M

-16.21%

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

$57.2 MX$998

$82.3 COP 295.6K

-30.50%

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

$22.44 MX$392

$9.50 COP 34.1K

136.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.34 MX$495

$24.23 COP 87.1K

16.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.51 MX$638

$25.89 COP 93.0K

41.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.67 MX$274

$19.00 COP 68.3K

-17.53%

Cinema Ticket

$4.62 MX$80.7

$3.93 COP 14.1K

17.56%

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

$206 MX$3,593

$309 COP 1.1M

-33.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,570 MX$62.4K

$5,965 COP 21.4M

-40.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.9 MX$906

$58.7 COP 210.8K

-11.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.62 MX$692

$32.35 COP 116.2K

22.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.2 MX$1,575

$103 COP 368.7K

-12.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.8 MX$1,393

$108 COP 389.6K

-26.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$510 MX$8,908

$476 COP 1.7M

7.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$394 MX$6,882

$379 COP 1.4M

4.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$938 MX$16.4K

$838 COP 3.0M

11.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$761 MX$13.3K

$724 COP 2.6M

5.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,108 MX$36.8K

$2,791 COP 10.0M

-24.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,377 MX$24.0K

$1,211 COP 4.4M

13.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.48

13.43

-14.52%

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

Last update for Cuajimalpa: May 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $510 in Cuajimalpa and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $39.00 in Cuajimalpa vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $188 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

Cuajimalpa vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,633 in Cuajimalpa and $1,519 in Medellin to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $510 in Cuajimalpa versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $206 in Cuajimalpa versus $309 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 $39.00 in Cuajimalpa. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,089 in Cuajimalpa, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Cuajimalpa. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Medellin is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cuajimalpa, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cuajimalpa 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 Cuajimalpa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.