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: $1,101 in Cuajimalpa versus $1,030 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,769 in Cuajimalpa versus $1,586 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,438 in Cuajimalpa versus $2,143 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 18% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.61 MX$184

$5.92 COP 21.2K

79.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.25 MX$680

$33.17 COP 118.7K

18.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.00 MX$139

$7.25 COP 25.9K

10.34%

Cappuccino

$3.21 MX$55.6

$1.71 COP 6,137

87.72%

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

$1.27 MX$22.04

$1.09 COP 3,915

16.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.72

$0.77 COP 2,743

25.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 MX$41.50

$1.75 COP 6,254

36.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 MX$68.7

$3.18 COP 11.4K

24.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 MX$26.03

$1.06 COP 3,792

41.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 MX$43.65

$1.30 COP 4,657

93.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.26

$1.38 COP 4,926

18.12%

Eggs

$2.32 MX$40.16

$2.21 COP 7,908

4.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.93 MX$138

$4.52 COP 16.2K

75.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 MX$136

$5.80 COP 20.7K

35.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.38 MX$180

$8.97 COP 32.1K

15.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.25

$2.29 COP 8,182

13.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 MX$25.18

$1.06 COP 3,791

36.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 MX$31.22

$1.51 COP 5,411

19.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 MX$27.76

$1.36 COP 4,869

17.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.53

$1.16 COP 4,146

66.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 MX$34.96

$1.17 COP 4,174

72.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 MX$21.72

$0.83 COP 2,960

50.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 MX$17.59

$0.85 COP 3,043

20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.06 MX$70.3

$2.35 COP 8,423

72.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.82 MX$188

$11.09 COP 39.7K

-2.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 MX$27.15

$1.15 COP 4,133

36.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.98

$2.47 COP 8,853

12.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 MX$11.33

$0.79 COP 2,827

-17.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.85 COP 149.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 MX$46.00

$1.44 COP 5,140

84.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 MX$27.72

$1.90 COP 6,793

-15.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.50 MX$147

$7.70 COP 27.6K

10.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.98

$1.03 COP 3,680

23.30%

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

$21.0K MX$364.0K

$17.7K COP 63.3M

18.79%

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

$22.3K MX$386.0K

$27.0K COP 96.7M

-17.56%

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

$56.2 MX$974

$81.4 COP 291.4K

-30.99%

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

$22.32 MX$387

$9.42 COP 33.7K

136.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.00 MX$485

$23.77 COP 85.1K

17.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.86 MX$621

$25.86 COP 92.6K

38.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.14 MX$280

$19.34 COP 69.2K

-16.55%

Cinema Ticket

$4.70 MX$81.5

$4.05 COP 14.5K

16.05%

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

$208 MX$3,600

$312 COP 1.1M

-33.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,536 MX$61.3K

$6,067 COP 21.7M

-41.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 MX$934

$58.9 COP 210.7K

-8.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.27 MX$680

$32.82 COP 117.5K

19.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.3 MX$1,583

$100 COP 359.6K

-9.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.7 MX$1,363

$106 COP 380.3K

-25.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$501 MX$8,688

$490 COP 1.8M

2.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$389 MX$6,741

$371 COP 1.3M

4.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$931 MX$16.1K

$838 COP 3.0M

11.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$761 MX$13.2K

$715 COP 2.6M

6.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,851 MX$32.1K

$2,952 COP 10.6M

-37.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,343 MX$23.3K

$1,394 COP 5.0M

-3.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$532 COP 1.9M

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: April 19, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $501 in Cuajimalpa and $490 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $39 in Cuajimalpa vs $33 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 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

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 $1,651 in Cuajimalpa and $1,544 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: $501 in Cuajimalpa versus $490 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $208 in Cuajimalpa versus $312 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 $1,030 in Medellin versus $1,101 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.