Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuautla and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuautla and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,172 in Cuautla versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,862 in Cuautla versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,552 in Cuautla versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Cuautla is roughly 16% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cuautla 13% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.58 MX$166

$5.99 COP 21.4K

59.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.16 MX$798

$32.86 COP 117.4K

40.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.11 MX$140

$7.09 COP 25.3K

14.39%

Cappuccino

$3.71 MX$64.2

$1.71 COP 6,115

116.96%

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

$1.27 MX$21.91

$1.10 COP 3,924

15.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.96 MX$16.68

$0.78 COP 2,781

23.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 MX$42.01

$1.68 COP 5,997

44.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 MX$71.9

$3.07 COP 11.0K

35.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 MX$27.48

$1.09 COP 3,906

45.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 MX$44.40

$1.26 COP 4,508

103.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.45

$1.38 COP 4,922

44.20%

Eggs

$2.29 MX$39.58

$2.19 COP 7,827

4.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.49 MX$147

$4.40 COP 15.7K

92.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.69 MX$168

$5.63 COP 20.1K

72.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 MX$229

$8.89 COP 31.8K

48.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 MX$61.4

$2.34 COP 8,349

51.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.06

$1.06 COP 3,777

42.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.08

$1.50 COP 5,374

23.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.03

$1.38 COP 4,924

29.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.09

$1.15 COP 4,111

51.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.59

$1.16 COP 4,155

62.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 MX$22.55

$0.89 COP 3,182

46.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 MX$19.05

$0.84 COP 2,997

30.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.34 MX$75.1

$2.28 COP 8,145

90.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.53 MX$303

$10.64 COP 38.0K

64.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 MX$34.49

$1.20 COP 4,284

65.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 MX$57.4

$2.47 COP 8,824

34.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 MX$11.25

$0.86 COP 3,056

-24.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.6

$1.47 COP 5,264

114.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.19 MX$20.65

$1.96 COP 7,009

-39.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.40 MX$163

$7.74 COP 27.6K

21.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 MX$21.06

$0.95 COP 3,409

28.42%

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

$19.7K MX$341.3K

$18.1K COP 64.7M

8.82%

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

$20.5K MX$354.9K

$26.5K COP 94.6M

-22.53%

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

$63.8 MX$1,103

$82.3 COP 293.7K

-22.46%

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

$23.66 MX$409

$9.50 COP 33.9K

149.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.67 MX$479

$24.23 COP 86.5K

14.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.20 MX$626

$25.89 COP 92.4K

39.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.98 MX$276

$19.00 COP 67.9K

-15.89%

Cinema Ticket

$6.06 MX$105

$3.93 COP 14.0K

54.20%

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

$321 MX$5,551

$309 COP 1.1M

3.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,797 MX$83.0K

$5,965 COP 21.3M

-19.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.81 MX$862

$58.7 COP 209.5K

-15.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.84 MX$741

$32.35 COP 115.5K

32.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100.0 MX$1,729

$103 COP 366.4K

-2.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.2 MX$1,664

$108 COP 387.2K

-11.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$513 MX$8,879

$476 COP 1.7M

7.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,748

$379 COP 1.4M

3.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$941 MX$16.3K

$838 COP 3.0M

12.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$755 MX$13.1K

$724 COP 2.6M

4.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,013 MX$34.8K

$2,791 COP 10.0M

-27.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,253 MX$21.7K

$1,211 COP 4.3M

3.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

13.43

-14.00%

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

Last update for Cuautla: May 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $513 in Cuautla and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Cuautla vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 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

Cuautla vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,758 in Cuautla 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: $513 in Cuautla versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $321 in Cuautla 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 $46.00 in Cuautla. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,172 in Cuautla, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Cuautla. 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 Cuautla, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Cuautla. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.