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 $1,017 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,582 per month in Culiacan vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,165 per month in Culiacan vs $2,188 in Medellin, rent included.

Culiacan is about 2% cheaper than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Culiacan and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – Culiacan 26% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.74 MX$184

$5.95 COP 20.8K

80.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.30 MX$589

$33.33 COP 116.3K

2.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.12 MX$139

$7.23 COP 25.2K

12.31%

Cappuccino

$3.43 MX$58.8

$1.63 COP 5,687

110.43%

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

$1.11 MX$19.05

$1.09 COP 3,821

1.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.20

$0.73 COP 2,548

13.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.17 MX$37.31

$1.74 COP 6,065

24.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 MX$58.5

$3.23 COP 11.3K

5.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MX$29.52

$1.05 COP 3,662

63.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 MX$45.46

$1.29 COP 4,515

105.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.14 MX$19.49

$1.32 COP 4,617

-13.64%

Eggs

$2.30 MX$39.42

$2.27 COP 7,927

1.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.39 MX$127

$4.35 COP 15.2K

69.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.72 MX$150

$5.88 COP 20.5K

48.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.78 MX$185

$8.61 COP 30.0K

25.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.44 MX$41.94

$2.25 COP 7,844

8.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.07

$1.07 COP 3,733

53.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.49

$1.52 COP 5,322

-1.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.43 MX$24.48

$1.42 COP 4,964

0.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.72

$1.17 COP 4,084

33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.35

$1.17 COP 4,077

76.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 MX$30.83

$0.89 COP 3,096

102.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 MX$22.03

$0.90 COP 3,146

42.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.42 MX$75.9

$2.25 COP 7,837

96.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.18 MX$243

$11.04 COP 38.5K

28.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 MX$22.25

$1.14 COP 3,977

14.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 MX$46.20

$2.38 COP 8,301

13.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 MX$11.48

$0.84 COP 2,916

-20.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.20 MX$227

$41.95 COP 146.4K

-68.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.0

$1.41 COP 4,912

122.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.80 MX$30.92

$1.90 COP 6,634

-5.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.64 MX$183

$7.75 COP 27.0K

37.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$23.04

$1.01 COP 3,509

32.67%

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

$33.2K MX$570.1K

$17.6K COP 61.4M

88.93%

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

$24.7K MX$423.6K

$26.5K COP 92.5M

-6.86%

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

$51.9 MX$891

$83.7 COP 292.1K

-37.97%

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

$19.18 MX$329

$9.45 COP 33.0K

102.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.45 MX$488

$24.11 COP 84.1K

18.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.94 MX$497

$25.31 COP 88.3K

14.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.89 MX$358

$19.14 COP 66.8K

9.14%

Cinema Ticket

$4.22 MX$72.4

$4.10 COP 14.3K

2.93%

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

$108 MX$1,846

$312 COP 1.1M

-65.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,225 MX$55.3K

$5,993 COP 20.9M

-46.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.1 MX$1,049

$58.0 COP 202.6K

5.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.08 MX$551

$32.56 COP 113.6K

-1.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.6 MX$1,590

$99.6 COP 347.7K

-7.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 MX$1,644

$109 COP 378.8K

-11.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$363 MX$6,230

$482 COP 1.7M

-24.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$248 MX$4,254

$379 COP 1.3M

-34.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$767 MX$13.2K

$837 COP 2.9M

-8.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$503 MX$8,639

$723 COP 2.5M

-30.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,258 MX$38.8K

$2,840 COP 9.9M

-20.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,156 MX$19.8K

$1,223 COP 4.3M

-5.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$753 MX$12.9K

$541 COP 1.9M

39.21%

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: June 9, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $363 in Culiacan versus $482 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 39% 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 $34.00 in Culiacan versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $262 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: $1,000 in Culiacan, $1,017 in Medellin – roughly 2% apart. Medellin costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,500 per month in Culiacan and $1,525 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 $34.00 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 $1,000 in Culiacan and $1,017 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 $1,000, than in Medellin at $1,017. 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 $1,017 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.