Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuernavaca and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuernavaca and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,000 in Cuernavaca versus $1,017 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,665 in Cuernavaca versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,329 in Cuernavaca versus $2,188 in Medellin.

Living in Cuernavaca costs roughly 2% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cuernavaca 26% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.41 MX$162

$5.95 COP 20.8K

58.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.50 MX$626

$33.33 COP 116.3K

9.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.95 MX$119

$7.23 COP 25.2K

-3.87%

Cappuccino

$2.25 MX$38.69

$1.63 COP 5,687

38.04%

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

$1.30 MX$22.25

$1.09 COP 3,821

19.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 MX$13.34

$0.73 COP 2,548

6.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.31 MX$39.66

$1.74 COP 6,065

32.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 MX$53.0

$3.23 COP 11.3K

-4.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.54

$1.05 COP 3,662

47.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.29 COP 4,515

33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 MX$23.02

$1.32 COP 4,617

1.52%

Eggs

$1.86 MX$31.98

$2.27 COP 7,927

-18.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.11 MX$139

$4.35 COP 15.2K

86.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.21 MX$107

$5.88 COP 20.5K

5.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.05 MX$224

$8.61 COP 30.0K

51.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 MX$36.73

$2.25 COP 7,844

-4.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 MX$22.86

$1.07 COP 3,733

24.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.38

$1.52 COP 5,322

12.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.83

$1.42 COP 4,964

9.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 MX$29.76

$1.17 COP 4,084

47.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.37

$1.17 COP 4,077

61.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.96 MX$16.48

$0.89 COP 3,096

7.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 MX$13.26

$0.90 COP 3,146

-14.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$70.5

$2.25 COP 7,837

82.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.47 MX$145

$11.04 COP 38.5K

-23.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.19

$1.14 COP 3,977

-1.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 MX$49.53

$2.38 COP 8,301

21.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.39

$0.84 COP 2,916

-34.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.25 MX$451

$41.95 COP 146.4K

-37.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.88 MX$32.35

$1.41 COP 4,912

33.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 MX$21.30

$1.90 COP 6,634

-34.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.47 MX$162

$7.75 COP 27.0K

22.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.87

$1.01 COP 3,509

25.74%

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

$18.7K MX$320.9K

$17.6K COP 61.4M

6.34%

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

$20.7K MX$355.2K

$26.5K COP 92.5M

-21.89%

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

$60.5 MX$1,039

$83.7 COP 292.1K

-27.69%

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

$22.55 MX$387

$9.45 COP 33.0K

138.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.25 MX$485

$24.11 COP 84.1K

17.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.93 MX$394

$25.31 COP 88.3K

-9.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.70 MX$270

$19.14 COP 66.8K

-17.97%

Cinema Ticket

$5.43 MX$93.1

$4.10 COP 14.3K

32.44%

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

$212 MX$3,634

$312 COP 1.1M

-32.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,925 MX$84.5K

$5,993 COP 20.9M

-17.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.01 MX$824

$58.0 COP 202.6K

-17.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.50 MX$678

$32.56 COP 113.6K

21.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 MX$1,721

$99.6 COP 347.7K

0.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.0 MX$1,408

$109 COP 378.8K

-24.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$380 MX$6,529

$482 COP 1.7M

-21.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$312 MX$5,354

$379 COP 1.3M

-17.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$899 MX$15.4K

$837 COP 2.9M

7.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$773 MX$13.3K

$723 COP 2.5M

6.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$903 MX$15.5K

$2,840 COP 9.9M

-68.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$632 MX$10.8K

$1,223 COP 4.3M

-48.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$679 MX$11.6K

$541 COP 1.9M

25.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.33

13.43

-15.64%

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

Last update for Cuernavaca: June 8, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $380 in Cuernavaca and $482 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cuernavaca pays 25% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36.00 in Cuernavaca vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $224 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

Cuernavaca vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cuernavaca is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Cuernavaca pays 25% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $380 in Cuernavaca versus $482 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 18% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Cuernavaca – a meal for two runs $36.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,000 in Cuernavaca versus $1,017 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cuernavaca but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Cuernavaca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cuernavaca 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, Cuernavaca 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 Cuernavaca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.