Cost of Living Comparison Between Ensenada and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Ensenada and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,046 in Ensenada versus $1,034 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Ensenada versus $1,577 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,152 in Ensenada versus $2,120 in Medellin.

Living in Ensenada is roughly 1% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ensenada 22% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.77 MX$187

$5.92 COP 21.5K

81.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.06 MX$558

$32.75 COP 119.1K

-2.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.06 MX$123

$7.20 COP 26.2K

-1.94%

Cappuccino

$3.04 MX$52.9

$1.70 COP 6,186

78.82%

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

$1.10 MX$19.19

$1.10 COP 3,996

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 MX$11.52

$0.72 COP 2,625

-8.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 MX$45.01

$1.67 COP 6,067

55.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 MX$70.2

$3.10 COP 11.3K

30.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 MX$27.39

$1.06 COP 3,837

48.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.57 MX$44.71

$1.25 COP 4,531

105.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 MX$28.90

$1.39 COP 5,060

19.42%

Eggs

$2.86 MX$49.73

$2.26 COP 8,229

26.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.55 MX$131

$4.33 COP 15.8K

74.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.04 MX$87.6

$5.84 COP 21.2K

-13.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.25 MX$161

$8.83 COP 32.1K

4.76%

Apples (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.64

$2.24 COP 8,159

-13.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.12

$1.08 COP 3,911

33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.62 MX$28.24

$1.53 COP 5,563

5.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 MX$27.10

$1.37 COP 4,987

13.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.62

$1.13 COP 4,109

45.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.27

$1.12 COP 4,067

55.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 MX$19.05

$0.85 COP 3,080

29.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 MX$17.22

$0.91 COP 3,305

8.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.06 MX$70.7

$2.33 COP 8,477

74.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.68 MX$151

$11.13 COP 40.5K

-22.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 MX$25.68

$1.19 COP 4,342

24.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 MX$41.04

$2.37 COP 8,617

-0.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 MX$14.16

$0.79 COP 2,859

2.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 149.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 MX$36.54

$1.44 COP 5,223

45.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 MX$26.77

$1.91 COP 6,952

-19.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 MX$53.9

$8.02 COP 29.2K

-61.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.56

$0.94 COP 3,410

38.30%

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

$21.1K MX$366.9K

$17.9K COP 65.2M

17.65%

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

$20.2K MX$352.1K

$26.8K COP 97.4M

-24.47%

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

$57.4 MX$999

$84.0 COP 305.4K

-31.61%

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

$19.80 MX$345

$9.60 COP 34.9K

106.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.13 MX$489

$24.16 COP 87.9K

16.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.3 MX$1,136

$25.88 COP 94.1K

152.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 MX$280

$19.04 COP 69.3K

-15.44%

Cinema Ticket

$4.23 MX$73.6

$3.92 COP 14.2K

7.91%

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

$188 MX$3,277

$306 COP 1.1M

-38.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,719 MX$47.3K

$5,919 COP 21.5M

-54.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.15 MX$733

$57.9 COP 210.6K

-27.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.35 MX$598

$31.82 COP 115.7K

7.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 MX$1,499

$99.9 COP 363.3K

-13.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.7 MX$969

$107 COP 389.7K

-48.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$497 MX$8,648

$487 COP 1.8M

2.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$343 MX$5,962

$368 COP 1.3M

-6.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,020 MX$17.7K

$826 COP 3.0M

23.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$644 MX$11.2K

$716 COP 2.6M

-10.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,392 MX$24.2K

$2,925 COP 10.6M

-52.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$707 MX$12.3K

$1,407 COP 5.1M

-49.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$697 MX$12.1K

$546 COP 2.0M

27.70%

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 Ensenada: April 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $497 in Ensenada and $487 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ensenada pays 28% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $32.00 in Ensenada vs $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $222 vs $190, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.

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

Ensenada vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ensenada and Medellin differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($1,046 vs $1,034 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Ensenada pays 28% more on average, 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: $497 in Ensenada versus $487 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Ensenada. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,046 per month in Ensenada versus $1,034 in Medellin – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,034 in Medellin versus $1,046 in Ensenada, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Ensenada. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Ensenada 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 Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Ensenada. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.