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: $1,060 in Cuernavaca versus $1,681 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,774 in Cuernavaca versus $2,445 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,488 in Cuernavaca versus $3,210 in Medellin.

Living in Cuernavaca costs roughly 37% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cuernavaca is 23% below, Medellin is 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.63 MX$148

$8.02 COP 25.3K

7.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.25 MX$708

$47.87 COP 151.0K

-13.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.65 MX$131

$9.89 COP 31.2K

-22.65%

Cappuccino

$2.56 MX$43.96

$3.13 COP 9,873

-18.21%

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

$1.42 MX$24.34

$1.91 COP 6,019

-25.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 MX$12.07

$1.51 COP 4,763

-53.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.55 MX$43.81

$3.12 COP 9,853

-18.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 MX$59.8

$5.75 COP 18.1K

-39.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 MX$30.01

$1.44 COP 4,558

21.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.50 MX$42.93

$2.49 COP 7,843

0.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 MX$26.55

$1.77 COP 5,595

-12.43%

Eggs

$2.04 MX$34.97

$2.96 COP 9,336

-31.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.62 MX$148

$10.07 COP 31.8K

-14.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.33 MX$91.5

$10.12 COP 31.9K

-47.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.35 MX$246

$14.30 COP 45.1K

0.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 MX$41.01

$4.14 COP 13.0K

-42.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$24.53

$1.61 COP 5,073

-11.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 MX$39.01

$2.25 COP 7,083

0.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.47

$2.25 COP 7,104

-23.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 MX$32.74

$2.04 COP 6,444

-6.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.15

$1.54 COP 4,842

21.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.63 MX$27.96

$1.17 COP 3,691

39.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.63

$1.31 COP 4,121

-25.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.75 MX$81.6

$3.90 COP 12.3K

21.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.89 MX$153

$14.01 COP 44.2K

-36.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 MX$22.53

$1.74 COP 5,498

-24.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.53 MX$60.6

$2.87 COP 9,053

23.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$9.75

$1.22 COP 3,834

-53.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.76 MX$494

$80.5 COP 253.9K

-64.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.07 MX$35.49

$1.31 COP 4,129

58.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.76 MX$47.37

$2.19 COP 6,899

26.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.90 MX$204

$8.71 COP 27.5K

36.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$24.57

$1.37 COP 4,306

4.38%

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

$22.5K MX$385.7K

$27.8K COP 87.8M

-19.28%

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

$25.5K MX$436.9K

$35.8K COP 112.8M

-28.85%

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

$65.1 MX$1,118

$177 COP 559.3K

-63.27%

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

$19.87 MX$341

$13.88 COP 43.8K

43.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.23 MX$450

$29.72 COP 93.8K

-11.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.37 MX$470

$44.88 COP 141.6K

-39.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$5.92 MX$102

$6.65 COP 21.0K

-10.98%

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

$237 MX$4,075

$813 COP 2.6M

-70.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,401 MX$92.7K

$9,187 COP 29.0M

-41.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.23 MX$759

$89.5 COP 282.3K

-50.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.27 MX$605

$59.0 COP 186.0K

-40.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.3 MX$1,705

$138 COP 435.9K

-28.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 MX$1,807

$102 COP 322.1K

3.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$422 MX$7,239

$1,062 COP 3.3M

-60.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$349 MX$5,988

$663 COP 2.1M

-47.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$992 MX$17.0K

$1,888 COP 6.0M

-47.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$866 MX$14.9K

$1,027 COP 3.2M

-15.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$943 MX$16.2K

$4,183 COP 13.2M

-77.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$631 MX$10.8K

$1,675 COP 5.3M

-62.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$702 MX$12.0K

$678 COP 2.1M

3.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.4

10.94

4.20%

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

Last update for Cuernavaca: September 13, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $422 in Cuernavaca and $1,062 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cuernavaca pays 4% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $41.00 in Cuernavaca vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $305 per month, with Cuernavaca 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 Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 59% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 4% higher in Cuernavaca, 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: $422 in Cuernavaca versus $1,062 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Cuernavaca – a meal for two runs $41.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,060 in Cuernavaca versus $1,681 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 59% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.