Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Guadalajara and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Guadalajara: $1,425 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

69

Cost of Living Index in Guadalajara
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Guadalajara Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Guadalajara

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,425

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Guadalajara and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Guadalajara and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,425 per month in Guadalajara vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

Guadalajara $1,425
Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $2,146 per month in Guadalajara vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

Guadalajara $2,146
Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $2,868 per month in Guadalajara vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

Guadalajara $2,868
Medellin $3,190

Guadalajara is about 12% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Guadalajara and Medellin sit above the global median – Guadalajara by 6%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.59 €12.09

$7.93 COP 25.2K

71.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.95 €31.98

$46.13 COP 146.3K

-22.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.29 €10.04

$9.50 COP 30.1K

18.84%

Cappuccino

$1.90 €1.69

$3.11 COP 9,866

-38.91%

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

$2.75 €2.44

$1.83 COP 5,800

50.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.21

$1.38 COP 4,360

-1.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.74 €2.44

$3.05 COP 9,672

-10.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.93 €3.49

$5.50 COP 17.4K

-28.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.05

$1.45 COP 4,600

-18.62%

White Bread (500g)

$0.85 €0.76

$2.36 COP 7,496

-63.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 €1.93

$1.68 COP 5,328

29.17%

Eggs

$2.97 €2.64

$2.86 COP 9,077

3.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.28 €10.04

$10.19 COP 32.3K

10.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.08 €8.08

$9.53 COP 30.2K

-4.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.01 €15.13

$14.04 COP 44.5K

21.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 €2.40

$4.07 COP 12.9K

-33.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 €2.00

$1.50 COP 4,742

50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.79

$2.17 COP 6,891

-7.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.82 €3.39

$2.31 COP 7,310

65.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 €1.88

$1.93 COP 6,113

9.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 €1.93

$1.64 COP 5,196

32.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 €1.26

$1.13 COP 3,571

25.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 €0.50

$1.25 COP 3,954

-54.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.00 €5.34

$3.99 COP 12.6K

50.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.52 €4.91

$13.35 COP 42.3K

-58.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.95

$1.70 COP 5,384

-37.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.91

$2.37 COP 7,525

-9.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.15 €1.03

$1.21 COP 3,827

-4.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.52 €4.02

$1.32 COP 4,179

242.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.27 €2.02

$2.14 COP 6,774

6.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.20 €20.64

$8.47 COP 26.8K

173.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.64 €1.46

$1.30 COP 4,114

26.15%

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

$34.8K €31.0K

$28.0K COP 88.7M

24.32%

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

$28.4K €25.3K

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-19.78%

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

$112 €99.8

$172 COP 545.6K

-34.80%

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

$19.80 €17.61

$13.37 COP 42.4K

48.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.27 €26.92

$28.73 COP 91.1K

5.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.98 €32.01

$45.24 COP 143.5K

-20.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.04 €8.04

$17.04 COP 54.0K

-46.95%

Cinema Ticket

$9.63 €8.56

$6.28 COP 19.9K

53.34%

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

$177 €158

$770 COP 2.4M

-76.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,854 €5,207

$9,011 COP 28.6M

-35.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.3 €63.5

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-17.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.70 €31.76

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-37.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.3 €69.7

$137 COP 432.9K

-42.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.5 €84.9

$97.9 COP 310.4K

-2.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$767 €682

$1,055 COP 3.3M

-27.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$588 €523

$616 COP 2.0M

-4.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 €1,128

$1,892 COP 6.0M

-32.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,010 €898

$1,023 COP 3.2M

-1.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,482 €2,208

$4,059 COP 12.9M

-38.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,832 €1,630

$1,678 COP 5.3M

9.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,924 €1,711

$652 COP 2.1M

194.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.08

10.94

-71.85%

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

Last update for Guadalajara: October 10, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Guadalajara

$588 41.3%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 4.7% $28

Groceries & Markets

Guadalajara

$269 18.9%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 9.5% $26

Eating Out

Guadalajara

$203 14.3%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 17.2% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Guadalajara

$162 11.4%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 32% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Guadalajara

$126 8.9%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 34.6% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Guadalajara

$55 3.9%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 4.7% $2.6

Getting Around

Guadalajara

$20 * 1.4%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 356% $73

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $767 in Guadalajara versus $1,055 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 195% higher in Guadalajara, 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 $36.00 in Guadalajara versus $46.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $269 vs $295 – making Guadalajara the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Guadalajara

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

09:23 9:23 AM

02:23 2:23 AM

7 h behind Guadalajara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

89,010

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Guadalajara Medellin 8,070 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Guadalajara
Medellin

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Guadalajara vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 13%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,137 per month in Guadalajara and $2,421 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Guadalajara, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,425 in Guadalajara and $1,614 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 13%.

Kindergarten costs $177 per month in Guadalajara and $770 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Guadalajara, where all-in costs run around $1,425, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Guadalajara it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Guadalajara – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Guadalajara. 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.