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: $1,219 in Cuajimalpa versus $1,716 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,978 in Cuajimalpa versus $2,527 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,738 in Cuajimalpa versus $3,338 in Medellin.

Living in Cuajimalpa costs roughly 29% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cuajimalpa is 11% below, Medellin is 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.56 MX$195

$8.03 COP 25.1K

43.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.40 MX$800

$48.26 COP 151.0K

-1.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.86 MX$150

$9.77 COP 30.6K

-9.31%

Cappuccino

$3.87 MX$65.3

$2.91 COP 9,107

32.99%

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

$1.45 MX$24.49

$1.94 COP 6,082

-25.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.48

$1.52 COP 4,760

-28.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.91 MX$49.19

$3.09 COP 9,676

-5.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 MX$73.5

$5.74 COP 18.0K

-24.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$28.66

$1.36 COP 4,267

25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 MX$48.47

$2.39 COP 7,470

20.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 MX$29.40

$1.70 COP 5,321

2.35%

Eggs

$2.55 MX$43.00

$2.87 COP 8,979

-11.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.07 MX$153

$9.94 COP 31.1K

-8.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.74 MX$148

$10.78 COP 33.7K

-18.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 MX$213

$14.73 COP 46.1K

-14.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 MX$50.3

$4.09 COP 12.8K

-27.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 MX$28.54

$1.57 COP 4,917

7.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 MX$33.53

$2.13 COP 6,651

-6.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.04

$2.21 COP 6,926

-11.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.32

$2.05 COP 6,404

1.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.91 MX$32.29

$1.50 COP 4,706

27.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 MX$25.83

$1.19 COP 3,723

28.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 MX$20.25

$1.16 COP 3,623

3.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.34 MX$90.2

$3.90 COP 12.2K

36.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.59 MX$196

$14.44 COP 45.2K

-19.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 MX$32.71

$1.58 COP 4,955

22.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 MX$55.6

$2.83 COP 8,847

16.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 MX$12.62

$1.17 COP 3,655

-35.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 243.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.57 MX$43.40

$1.28 COP 4,019

100.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 MX$32.72

$2.09 COP 6,546

-7.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.18 MX$172

$8.62 COP 27.0K

18.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$25.79

$1.30 COP 4,061

17.69%

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

$23.0K MX$388.6K

$27.7K COP 86.5M

-16.78%

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

$27.8K MX$469.0K

$35.5K COP 111.1M

-21.77%

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

$67.2 MX$1,134

$176 COP 550.9K

-61.85%

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

$24.55 MX$414

$13.37 COP 41.8K

83.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.69 MX$603

$29.89 COP 93.5K

19.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.66 MX$687

$44.76 COP 140.0K

-9.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.12 MX$340

$17.06 COP 53.4K

17.94%

Cinema Ticket

$4.80 MX$81.0

$6.20 COP 19.4K

-22.58%

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

$239 MX$4,042

$793 COP 2.5M

-69.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,487 MX$92.6K

$9,019 COP 28.2M

-39.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.7 MX$855

$85.6 COP 267.8K

-40.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.64 MX$652

$58.5 COP 182.9K

-33.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 MX$1,925

$136 COP 426.4K

-16.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 MX$1,708

$103 COP 322.6K

-1.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$660 MX$11.1K

$1,060 COP 3.3M

-37.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$430 MX$7,264

$680 COP 2.1M

-36.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$988 MX$16.7K

$2,012 COP 6.3M

-50.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$943 MX$15.9K

$1,169 COP 3.7M

-19.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,684 MX$28.4K

$4,111 COP 12.9M

-59.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,234 MX$20.8K

$1,701 COP 5.3M

-27.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 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: September 1, 2026

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $660 in Cuajimalpa and $1,060 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Cuajimalpa vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $284 vs $303 per month, with Cuajimalpa 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

Cuajimalpa is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 41% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,828 in Cuajimalpa and $2,574 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: $660 in Cuajimalpa versus $1,060 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $239 in Cuajimalpa versus $793 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 $47.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,219 in Cuajimalpa versus $1,716 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 41% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.