Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuajimalpa and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Cuajimalpa: $1,141 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

55

Cost of Living Index in Cuajimalpa
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Cuajimalpa Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index

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Cuajimalpa

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,141

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cuajimalpa and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cuajimalpa and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,141 in Cuajimalpa versus $1,625 in Medellin.

Cuajimalpa $1,141
Medellin $1,625

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,827 in Cuajimalpa versus $2,412 in Medellin.

Cuajimalpa $1,827
Medellin $2,412

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,514 in Cuajimalpa versus $3,199 in Medellin.

Cuajimalpa $2,514
Medellin $3,199

Living in Cuajimalpa costs roughly 30% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cuajimalpa is 16% below, Medellin is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.81 MX$200

$8.30 COP 26.3K

30.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.13 MX$797

$46.91 COP 148.7K

-8.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.35 MX$154

$9.24 COP 29.3K

-9.63%

Cappuccino

$3.60 MX$66.6

$3.05 COP 9,676

18.03%

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

$1.40 MX$25.87

$1.80 COP 5,707

-22.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 MX$19.50

$1.38 COP 4,382

-23.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.52 MX$46.60

$3.24 COP 10.3K

-22.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 MX$73.2

$5.56 COP 17.6K

-28.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 MX$29.16

$1.50 COP 4,760

5.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.64 MX$48.81

$2.37 COP 7,508

11.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 MX$31.34

$1.70 COP 5,377

Eggs

$2.46 MX$45.39

$2.96 COP 9,379

-16.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.08 MX$149

$10.22 COP 32.4K

-20.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.10 MX$150

$9.74 COP 30.9K

-16.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.30 MX$209

$13.90 COP 44.1K

-18.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.79 MX$51.5

$4.13 COP 13.1K

-32.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$27.83

$1.53 COP 4,839

-1.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 MX$34.44

$2.22 COP 7,052

-16.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.81 MX$33.42

$2.27 COP 7,194

-20.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$36.89

$1.99 COP 6,311

0.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 MX$35.21

$1.67 COP 5,285

14.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 MX$26.42

$1.18 COP 3,742

21.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$20.79

$1.24 COP 3,919

-9.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.44 MX$82.1

$3.87 COP 12.3K

14.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.50 MX$194

$13.78 COP 43.7K

-23.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 MX$33.13

$1.66 COP 5,256

7.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 MX$58.8

$2.40 COP 7,615

32.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 MX$12.73

$1.24 COP 3,944

-44.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.62 MX$48.32

$1.28 COP 4,044

104.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.01 MX$37.15

$2.15 COP 6,803

-6.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.91 MX$202

$8.37 COP 26.5K

30.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.64

$1.35 COP 4,288

6.67%

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

$20.9K MX$386.5K

$34.8K COP 110.2M

-39.84%

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

$24.3K MX$448.9K

$34.7K COP 110.0M

-29.96%

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

$57.5 MX$1,063

$167 COP 528.4K

-65.49%

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

$22.78 MX$421

$13.62 COP 43.2K

67.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.83 MX$551

$29.12 COP 92.3K

2.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.34 MX$635

$45.09 COP 143.0K

-23.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.21 MX$373

$17.18 COP 54.5K

17.64%

Cinema Ticket

$5.31 MX$98.1

$6.97 COP 22.1K

-23.82%

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

$223 MX$4,122

$790 COP 2.5M

-71.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,649 MX$85.9K

$9,041 COP 28.7M

-48.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.5 MX$1,008

$87.8 COP 278.4K

-37.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.13 MX$760

$58.2 COP 184.4K

-29.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 MX$1,863

$139 COP 440.7K

-27.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 MX$1,636

$98.9 COP 313.5K

-10.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$600 MX$11.1K

$1,028 COP 3.3M

-41.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$395 MX$7,290

$620 COP 2.0M

-36.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,021 MX$18.9K

$1,881 COP 6.0M

-45.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$764 MX$14.1K

$1,008 COP 3.2M

-24.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,905 MX$35.2K

$3,988 COP 12.6M

-52.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,154 MX$21.3K

$1,702 COP 5.4M

-32.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

10.94

3.29%

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

Last update for Cuajimalpa: October 18, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Cuajimalpa

$395 34.6%

Medellin

$619 38.1% 57% $225

Groceries & Markets

Cuajimalpa

$262 23%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 13.6% $36

Eating Out

Cuajimalpa

$185 16.2%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 7.7% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Cuajimalpa

$128 11.2%

Medellin

$173 10.6% 34.7% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cuajimalpa

$110 9.7%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 90.2% $99

Sport & Entertainment

Cuajimalpa

$45 3.9%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 31.3% $14

Getting Around

Cuajimalpa

$15 * 1.4%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 517% $80

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $600 in Cuajimalpa and $1,028 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $43.00 in Cuajimalpa vs $47.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $262 vs $298 per month, with Cuajimalpa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Cuajimalpa

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

06:53 6:53 AM

07:53 7:53 AM

1 h ahead of Cuajimalpa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

217,686

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cuajimalpa Medellin 2,950 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Cuajimalpa
Medellin

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Cuajimalpa is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and leisure. The 42% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,711 in Cuajimalpa and $2,437 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: $600 in Cuajimalpa versus $1,028 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $223 in Cuajimalpa versus $790 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cuajimalpa – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $47.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,141 in Cuajimalpa versus $1,625 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cuajimalpa but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Cuajimalpa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cuajimalpa is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, 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 Cuajimalpa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.