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: $1,032 in Ensenada versus $1,017 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,598 in Ensenada versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,164 in Ensenada versus $2,188 in Medellin.

Living in Ensenada is roughly 2% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Ensenada 23% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.97 MX$188

$5.95 COP 20.8K

84.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.15 MX$535

$33.33 COP 116.3K

-6.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.32 MX$126

$7.23 COP 25.2K

1.24%

Cappuccino

$3.00 MX$51.6

$1.63 COP 5,687

84.05%

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

$1.14 MX$19.62

$1.09 COP 3,821

4.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.70 MX$12.07

$0.73 COP 2,548

-4.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.67 MX$45.81

$1.74 COP 6,065

53.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 MX$67.5

$3.23 COP 11.3K

21.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 MX$28.42

$1.05 COP 3,662

58.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.48 MX$42.51

$1.29 COP 4,515

92.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 MX$29.16

$1.32 COP 4,617

28.79%

Eggs

$2.75 MX$47.23

$2.27 COP 7,927

21.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.31 MX$125

$4.35 COP 15.2K

68.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.03 MX$86.4

$5.88 COP 20.5K

-14.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.62 MX$165

$8.61 COP 30.0K

11.73%

Apples (1kg)

$1.94 MX$33.29

$2.25 COP 7,844

-13.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 MX$26.01

$1.07 COP 3,733

42.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 MX$27.99

$1.52 COP 5,322

7.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.82

$1.42 COP 4,964

9.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 MX$28.79

$1.17 COP 4,084

43.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 MX$30.85

$1.17 COP 4,077

53.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 MX$18.01

$0.89 COP 3,096

17.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 MX$17.45

$0.90 COP 3,146

13.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.88 MX$66.5

$2.25 COP 7,837

72.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.69 MX$149

$11.04 COP 38.5K

-21.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 MX$25.27

$1.14 COP 3,977

28.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 MX$40.14

$2.38 COP 8,301

-1.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.78 MX$13.37

$0.84 COP 2,916

-7.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 MX$36.75

$1.41 COP 4,912

51.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 MX$27.64

$1.90 COP 6,634

-15.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 MX$55.9

$7.75 COP 27.0K

-57.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.83

$1.01 COP 3,509

25.74%

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

$20.7K MX$356.0K

$17.6K COP 61.4M

18.00%

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

$20.4K MX$349.8K

$26.5K COP 92.5M

-23.07%

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

$56.1 MX$964

$83.7 COP 292.1K

-32.91%

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

$19.77 MX$339

$9.45 COP 33.0K

109.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.15 MX$483

$24.11 COP 84.1K

16.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$65.9 MX$1,131

$25.31 COP 88.3K

160.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.01 MX$275

$19.14 COP 66.8K

-16.35%

Cinema Ticket

$4.22 MX$72.4

$4.10 COP 14.3K

2.93%

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

$185 MX$3,169

$312 COP 1.1M

-40.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,774 MX$47.6K

$5,993 COP 20.9M

-53.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.66 MX$749

$58.0 COP 202.6K

-24.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.94 MX$600

$32.56 COP 113.6K

7.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.6 MX$1,521

$99.6 COP 347.7K

-11.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.0 MX$978

$109 COP 378.8K

-47.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 MX$8,684

$482 COP 1.7M

4.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$339 MX$5,812

$379 COP 1.3M

-10.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,029 MX$17.7K

$837 COP 2.9M

22.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$632 MX$10.8K

$723 COP 2.5M

-12.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,422 MX$24.4K

$2,840 COP 9.9M

-49.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$729 MX$12.5K

$1,223 COP 4.3M

-40.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 MX$11.6K

$541 COP 1.9M

25.38%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $506 in Ensenada and $482 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ensenada pays 25% 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: $31.00 in Ensenada vs $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $223 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 2% in total monthly costs ($1,032 vs $1,017 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Ensenada pays 25% 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: $506 in Ensenada versus $482 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 $1,032 per month in Ensenada versus $1,017 in Medellin – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,017 in Medellin versus $1,032 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 2% less than in Ensenada. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.