Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuauhtémoc and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuauhtémoc and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,088 per month in Cuauhtémoc vs $1,017 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,764 per month in Cuauhtémoc vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,439 per month in Cuauhtémoc vs $2,188 in Medellin, rent included.

Cuauhtémoc costs about 7% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Cuauhtémoc and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – Cuauhtémoc 19% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.71 MX$184

$5.95 COP 20.8K

80.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.47 MX$660

$33.33 COP 116.3K

15.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.91 MX$136

$7.23 COP 25.2K

9.41%

Cappuccino

$3.25 MX$55.8

$1.63 COP 5,687

99.39%

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

$1.29 MX$22.11

$1.09 COP 3,821

18.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 MX$15.90

$0.73 COP 2,548

27.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.33 MX$40.01

$1.74 COP 6,065

33.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.94 MX$67.6

$3.23 COP 11.3K

21.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 MX$25.77

$1.05 COP 3,662

42.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 MX$44.71

$1.29 COP 4,515

102.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$27.90

$1.32 COP 4,617

23.48%

Eggs

$2.39 MX$41.00

$2.27 COP 7,927

5.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.09 MX$139

$4.35 COP 15.2K

85.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.65 MX$131

$5.88 COP 20.5K

30.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.76 MX$185

$8.61 COP 30.0K

24.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.11

$2.25 COP 7,844

16.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 MX$24.18

$1.07 COP 3,733

31.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 MX$30.24

$1.52 COP 5,322

15.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.62

$1.42 COP 4,964

13.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.91

$1.17 COP 4,084

64.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 MX$33.54

$1.17 COP 4,077

66.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 MX$21.47

$0.89 COP 3,096

40.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.71

$0.90 COP 3,146

7.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.21 MX$72.2

$2.25 COP 7,837

87.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 MX$212

$11.04 COP 38.5K

12.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$27.73

$1.14 COP 3,977

42.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 MX$47.88

$2.38 COP 8,301

17.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 MX$10.39

$0.84 COP 2,916

-27.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 MX$45.23

$1.41 COP 4,912

86.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 MX$27.33

$1.90 COP 6,634

-16.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.36 MX$144

$7.75 COP 27.0K

7.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.82

$1.01 COP 3,509

25.74%

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

$21.3K MX$366.2K

$17.6K COP 61.4M

21.36%

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

$22.5K MX$385.9K

$26.5K COP 92.5M

-15.15%

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

$56.9 MX$977

$83.7 COP 292.1K

-31.99%

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

$22.11 MX$380

$9.45 COP 33.0K

133.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.37 MX$487

$24.11 COP 84.1K

17.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.62 MX$611

$25.31 COP 88.3K

40.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.85 MX$272

$19.14 COP 66.8K

-17.19%

Cinema Ticket

$4.55 MX$78.1

$4.10 COP 14.3K

10.98%

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

$210 MX$3,608

$312 COP 1.1M

-32.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,559 MX$61.1K

$5,993 COP 20.9M

-40.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.8 MX$922

$58.0 COP 202.6K

-7.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.75 MX$682

$32.56 COP 113.6K

22.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.2 MX$1,549

$99.6 COP 347.7K

-9.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 MX$1,352

$109 COP 378.8K

-27.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$519 MX$8,909

$482 COP 1.7M

7.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$394 MX$6,760

$379 COP 1.3M

3.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$924 MX$15.9K

$837 COP 2.9M

10.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$759 MX$13.0K

$723 COP 2.5M

4.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,700 MX$29.2K

$2,840 COP 9.9M

-40.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,186 MX$20.4K

$1,223 COP 4.3M

-2.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 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 Cuauhtémoc: June 7, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $519 in Cuauhtémoc versus $482 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38.00 in Cuauhtémoc versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $253 vs $190 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Cuauhtémoc vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cuauhtémoc is pricier by about 7%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,632 per month in Cuauhtémoc and $1,525 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38.00 in Cuauhtémoc and $33.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 34% more in Cuauhtémoc, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,017, than in Cuauhtémoc at $1,088. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cuauhtémoc it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Medellin – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cuauhtémoc makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.