Cost of Living Comparison Between Culiacan and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Culiacan and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,000 per month in Culiacan vs $1,003 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,600 per month in Culiacan vs $1,573 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,201 per month in Culiacan vs $2,143 in Medellin, rent included.

Culiacan and Medellin have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Culiacan and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – Culiacan 25% lower, Medellin 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.55 MX$183

$5.91 COP 18.6K

78.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.57 MX$598

$32.96 COP 103.8K

4.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.96 MX$138

$7.43 COP 23.4K

7.13%

Cappuccino

$3.56 MX$61.7

$1.65 COP 5,207

115.76%

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

$1.09 MX$18.84

$1.10 COP 3,468

-0.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 MX$13.35

$0.78 COP 2,458

-1.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.11 MX$36.47

$1.72 COP 5,412

22.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 MX$56.9

$3.18 COP 10.0K

3.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$29.75

$1.10 COP 3,474

56.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.76 MX$47.68

$1.26 COP 3,962

119.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.18 MX$20.49

$1.38 COP 4,349

-14.49%

Eggs

$2.21 MX$38.16

$2.18 COP 6,858

1.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.48 MX$129

$4.49 COP 14.1K

66.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.76 MX$152

$5.79 COP 18.2K

51.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.46 MX$181

$8.97 COP 28.2K

16.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.44 MX$42.20

$2.32 COP 7,308

5.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 MX$26.75

$1.06 COP 3,352

46.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.42 MX$24.63

$1.52 COP 4,774

-6.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.43 MX$24.68

$1.36 COP 4,270

5.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 MX$26.90

$1.13 COP 3,552

37.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.38

$1.17 COP 3,689

84.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.81 MX$31.36

$0.90 COP 2,838

101.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 MX$22.54

$0.90 COP 2,823

44.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.64 MX$80.3

$2.23 COP 7,034

108.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.08 MX$244

$12.12 COP 38.2K

16.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 MX$23.10

$1.19 COP 3,743

11.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 MX$46.37

$2.48 COP 7,815

8.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 MX$11.56

$0.85 COP 2,687

-21.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.24 MX$229

$41.62 COP 131.0K

-68.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 MX$55.3

$1.42 COP 4,459

124.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 MX$32.22

$1.95 COP 6,141

-4.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.39 MX$180

$7.89 COP 24.8K

31.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$22.23

$0.99 COP 3,118

29.29%

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

$33.3K MX$576.3K

$17.6K COP 55.4M

89.23%

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

$24.2K MX$418.8K

$26.8K COP 84.4M

-9.66%

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

$53.3 MX$922

$83.0 COP 261.4K

-35.83%

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

$19.50 MX$337

$9.70 COP 30.5K

101.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.96 MX$501

$23.52 COP 74.1K

23.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.84 MX$499

$25.26 COP 79.5K

14.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.84 MX$361

$19.10 COP 60.1K

9.11%

Cinema Ticket

$4.27 MX$73.9

$3.95 COP 12.4K

8.10%

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

$106 MX$1,837

$316 COP 994.2K

-66.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,220 MX$55.7K

$5,975 COP 18.8M

-46.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.6 MX$1,083

$60.0 COP 188.9K

4.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.32 MX$542

$31.82 COP 100.2K

-1.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.3 MX$1,614

$102 COP 320.1K

-8.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.1 MX$1,645

$107 COP 338.3K

-11.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$357 MX$6,169

$475 COP 1.5M

-24.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$245 MX$4,239

$374 COP 1.2M

-34.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$748 MX$12.9K

$849 COP 2.7M

-11.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$493 MX$8,526

$719 COP 2.3M

-31.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,308 MX$39.9K

$3,265 COP 10.3M

-29.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,168 MX$20.2K

$1,441 COP 4.5M

-18.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$731 MX$12.6K

$624 COP 2.0M

17.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.25

13.43

-16.23%

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

Last update for Culiacan: July 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $357 in Culiacan versus $475 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 17% higher in Culiacan. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Culiacan versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $262 vs $193 – 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

Culiacan vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,500 per month in Culiacan and $1,504 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Culiacan, 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 $35.00 in Culiacan and $33.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 214% less in Culiacan. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Culiacan, where all-in costs run around $1,000, than in Medellin at $1,003. In Culiacan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,000 in Culiacan to $1,003 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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