Cost of Living Comparison Between Ecatepec and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Ecatepec and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,170 per month in Ecatepec vs $1,013 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,892 per month in Ecatepec vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,614 per month in Ecatepec vs $2,192 in Medellin, rent included.

Ecatepec costs about 16% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Ecatepec and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – Ecatepec 13% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.14 MX$227

$5.99 COP 21.4K

119.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.84 MX$810

$32.86 COP 117.4K

42.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.15 MX$158

$7.09 COP 25.3K

29.06%

Cappuccino

$3.57 MX$61.8

$1.71 COP 6,115

108.77%

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

$1.32 MX$22.87

$1.10 COP 3,924

20.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.04 MX$17.92

$0.78 COP 2,781

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 MX$50.6

$1.68 COP 5,997

73.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.72 MX$81.6

$3.07 COP 11.0K

53.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 MX$23.68

$1.09 COP 3,906

25.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.76 MX$47.75

$1.26 COP 4,508

119.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 MX$31.89

$1.38 COP 4,922

33.33%

Eggs

$2.52 MX$43.66

$2.19 COP 7,827

15.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.13 MX$141

$4.40 COP 15.7K

84.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.45 MX$146

$5.63 COP 20.1K

50.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.78 MX$204

$8.89 COP 31.8K

32.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.98 MX$51.6

$2.34 COP 8,349

27.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 MX$28.76

$1.06 COP 3,777

56.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 MX$34.19

$1.50 COP 5,374

32.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.97 MX$34.01

$1.38 COP 4,924

42.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$32.12

$1.15 COP 4,111

61.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.25 MX$38.97

$1.16 COP 4,155

93.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 MX$23.94

$0.89 COP 3,182

55.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.83

$0.84 COP 2,997

29.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.14 MX$71.7

$2.28 COP 8,145

81.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.85 MX$274

$10.64 COP 38.0K

48.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.36

$1.20 COP 4,284

46.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 MX$62.9

$2.47 COP 8,824

46.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 MX$11.27

$0.86 COP 3,056

-24.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.24 MX$506

$41.40 COP 147.9K

-29.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 MX$27.90

$1.47 COP 5,264

9.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.23

$1.96 COP 7,009

-84.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 MX$94.2

$7.74 COP 27.6K

-29.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.72

$0.95 COP 3,409

32.63%

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

$18.1K MX$313.0K

$18.1K COP 64.7M

-0.19%

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

$21.8K MX$376.8K

$26.5K COP 94.6M

-17.74%

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

$40.82 MX$706

$82.3 COP 293.7K

-50.37%

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

$21.53 MX$372

$9.50 COP 33.9K

126.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.74 MX$514

$24.23 COP 86.5K

22.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.17 MX$435

$25.89 COP 92.4K

-2.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.48 MX$181

$19.00 COP 67.9K

-44.84%

Cinema Ticket

$6.37 MX$110

$3.93 COP 14.0K

62.09%

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

$338 MX$5,854

$309 COP 1.1M

9.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,545 MX$61.3K

$5,965 COP 21.3M

-40.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 MX$1,004

$58.7 COP 209.5K

-1.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.50 MX$770

$32.35 COP 115.5K

37.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 MX$1,779

$103 COP 366.4K

0.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 MX$1,858

$108 COP 387.2K

-0.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$510 MX$8,824

$476 COP 1.7M

7.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$398 MX$6,884

$379 COP 1.4M

5.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$917 MX$15.9K

$838 COP 3.0M

9.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$770 MX$13.3K

$724 COP 2.6M

6.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$820 MX$14.2K

$2,791 COP 10.0M

-70.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$803 MX$13.9K

$1,211 COP 4.3M

-33.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$582 MX$10.1K

$512 COP 1.8M

13.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.5

13.43

-14.37%

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

Last update for Ecatepec: June 1, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $510 in Ecatepec versus $476 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 14% higher in Ecatepec, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Ecatepec versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $280 vs $188 – 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

Ecatepec vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,170 in Ecatepec, $1,013 in Medellin – roughly 16% apart. Ecatepec costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,756 per month in Ecatepec and $1,519 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, 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 $47.00 in Ecatepec 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 $1,170 in Ecatepec and $1,013 in Medellin. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,013, than in Ecatepec at $1,170. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ecatepec 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 $1,013 in Medellin to $1,170 in Ecatepec. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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