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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $966 per month in Culiacan vs $1,034 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,563 per month in Culiacan vs $1,577 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,159 per month in Culiacan vs $2,120 in Medellin, rent included.

Culiacan is about 6% cheaper than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Culiacan and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – Culiacan 28% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.45 MX$183

$5.92 COP 21.4K

76.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.76 MX$608

$32.75 COP 118.2K

6.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.05 MX$141

$7.20 COP 26.0K

11.81%

Cappuccino

$3.61 MX$63.1

$1.70 COP 6,140

112.35%

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

$1.11 MX$19.39

$1.10 COP 3,966

0.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.40

$0.72 COP 2,605

13.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 MX$37.41

$1.67 COP 6,022

28.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 MX$59.0

$3.10 COP 11.2K

8.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 MX$29.85

$1.06 COP 3,809

61.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 MX$47.70

$1.25 COP 4,497

118.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.19 MX$20.91

$1.39 COP 5,022

-14.39%

Eggs

$2.20 MX$38.47

$2.26 COP 8,168

-2.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.35 MX$129

$4.33 COP 15.6K

69.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.10 MX$159

$5.84 COP 21.1K

55.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.76 MX$188

$8.83 COP 31.9K

21.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.48 MX$43.32

$2.24 COP 8,099

10.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 MX$28.31

$1.08 COP 3,882

50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.41 MX$24.71

$1.53 COP 5,522

-7.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 MX$24.77

$1.37 COP 4,950

3.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 MX$27.02

$1.13 COP 4,078

36.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 MX$36.59

$1.12 COP 4,036

86.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 MX$32.62

$0.85 COP 3,057

118.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 MX$22.59

$0.91 COP 3,281

41.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.50 MX$78.8

$2.33 COP 8,414

93.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.46 MX$253

$11.13 COP 40.2K

29.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 MX$22.43

$1.19 COP 4,309

7.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 MX$47.24

$2.37 COP 8,553

13.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 MX$11.71

$0.79 COP 2,838

-15.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.32 MX$233

$41.13 COP 148.5K

-67.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 MX$53.8

$1.44 COP 5,184

113.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.83 MX$32.05

$1.91 COP 6,901

-4.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.38 MX$182

$8.02 COP 28.9K

29.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.75

$0.94 COP 3,385

38.30%

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

$33.5K MX$586.6K

$17.9K COP 64.7M

87.04%

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

$24.4K MX$426.9K

$26.8K COP 96.7M

-8.94%

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

$53.6 MX$939

$84.0 COP 303.1K

-36.12%

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

$19.20 MX$336

$9.60 COP 34.7K

100.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.14 MX$510

$24.16 COP 87.2K

20.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.71 MX$502

$25.88 COP 93.4K

10.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.76 MX$363

$19.04 COP 68.7K

9.03%

Cinema Ticket

$4.21 MX$73.7

$3.92 COP 14.1K

7.40%

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

$105 MX$1,831

$306 COP 1.1M

-65.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,193 MX$55.9K

$5,919 COP 21.4M

-46.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.8 MX$1,098

$57.9 COP 209.1K

8.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.14 MX$545

$31.82 COP 114.9K

-2.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.9 MX$1,573

$99.9 COP 360.6K

-10.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 MX$1,729

$107 COP 386.8K

-7.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$355 MX$6,209

$487 COP 1.8M

-27.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$244 MX$4,277

$368 COP 1.3M

-33.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$767 MX$13.4K

$826 COP 3.0M

-7.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$513 MX$8,969

$716 COP 2.6M

-28.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,283 MX$40.0K

$2,925 COP 10.6M

-21.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,146 MX$20.1K

$1,407 COP 5.1M

-18.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$746 MX$13.1K

$546 COP 2.0M

36.74%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $355 in Culiacan versus $487 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 37% higher in Culiacan, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35.00 in Culiacan versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $265 vs $190 – 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

Monthly costs with rent: $966 in Culiacan, $1,034 in Medellin – roughly 7% apart. Medellin costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,450 per month in Culiacan and $1,550 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $966 in Culiacan and $1,034 in Medellin. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Culiacan, where all-in costs run around $966, than in Medellin at $1,034. 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 $966 in Culiacan to $1,034 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.