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: $994 in Cuernavaca versus $1,003 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,697 in Cuernavaca versus $1,573 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,399 in Cuernavaca versus $2,143 in Medellin.

Living in Cuernavaca costs roughly 1% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cuernavaca 25% lower, Medellin 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.86 MX$171

$5.91 COP 19.1K

66.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.73 MX$654

$32.96 COP 106.5K

14.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.00 MX$121

$7.43 COP 24.0K

-5.79%

Cappuccino

$2.34 MX$40.63

$1.65 COP 5,343

41.82%

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

$1.32 MX$22.83

$1.10 COP 3,559

20.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.74 MX$12.74

$0.78 COP 2,523

-5.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.27 MX$39.37

$1.72 COP 5,553

31.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 MX$53.6

$3.18 COP 10.3K

-2.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$26.57

$1.10 COP 3,565

39.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.78 MX$30.80

$1.26 COP 4,066

41.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 MX$23.91

$1.38 COP 4,463

Eggs

$1.81 MX$31.34

$2.18 COP 7,038

-16.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.16 MX$141

$4.49 COP 14.5K

81.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.31 MX$109

$5.79 COP 18.7K

8.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.15 MX$228

$8.97 COP 29.0K

46.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.11 MX$36.64

$2.32 COP 7,499

-9.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 MX$22.09

$1.06 COP 3,440

19.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.09

$1.52 COP 4,899

14.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 MX$27.09

$1.36 COP 4,381

14.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.10

$1.13 COP 3,645

58.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.42

$1.17 COP 3,785

59.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 MX$16.90

$0.90 COP 2,912

8.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 MX$12.48

$0.90 COP 2,897

-20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.21 MX$73.0

$2.23 COP 7,218

88.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.59 MX$149

$12.12 COP 39.2K

-29.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 MX$19.80

$1.19 COP 3,841

-4.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 MX$49.46

$2.48 COP 8,020

14.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.55 MX$9.48

$0.85 COP 2,758

-35.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.91 MX$466

$41.62 COP 134.5K

-35.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.87 MX$32.47

$1.42 COP 4,575

31.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.20 MX$20.80

$1.95 COP 6,302

-38.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.38 MX$162

$7.89 COP 25.5K

18.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 MX$21.26

$0.99 COP 3,200

24.24%

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

$18.4K MX$318.0K

$17.6K COP 56.9M

4.26%

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

$20.8K MX$361.0K

$26.8K COP 86.6M

-22.25%

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

$60.4 MX$1,046

$83.0 COP 268.2K

-27.26%

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

$22.92 MX$397

$9.70 COP 31.3K

136.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.54 MX$494

$23.52 COP 76.0K

21.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.81 MX$395

$25.26 COP 81.6K

-9.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.71 MX$272

$19.10 COP 61.7K

-17.75%

Cinema Ticket

$5.15 MX$89.2

$3.95 COP 12.8K

30.38%

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

$208 MX$3,602

$316 COP 1.0M

-34.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,854 MX$84.1K

$5,975 COP 19.3M

-18.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.44 MX$822

$60.0 COP 193.8K

-20.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.16 MX$696

$31.82 COP 102.8K

26.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.9 MX$1,696

$102 COP 328.5K

-3.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 MX$1,452

$107 COP 347.2K

-21.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$371 MX$6,434

$475 COP 1.5M

-21.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$317 MX$5,496

$374 COP 1.2M

-15.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$917 MX$15.9K

$849 COP 2.7M

7.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$791 MX$13.7K

$719 COP 2.3M

9.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$925 MX$16.0K

$3,265 COP 10.5M

-71.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$644 MX$11.2K

$1,441 COP 4.7M

-55.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$681 MX$11.8K

$624 COP 2.0M

9.00%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $371 in Cuernavaca and $475 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cuernavaca pays 9% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $38.00 in Cuernavaca vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $193 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, Sport & Entertainment. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 9% 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: $371 in Cuernavaca versus $475 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 16% 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 $38.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $994 in Cuernavaca versus $1,003 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 1% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.