Cost of Living Comparison Between Guadalajara and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Guadalajara and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,149 in Guadalajara versus $1,031 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,858 in Guadalajara versus $1,599 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,568 in Guadalajara versus $2,167 in Medellin.

Living in Guadalajara is roughly 11% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Guadalajara 14% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.71 MX$188

$6.16 COP 20.1K

73.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.63 MX$660

$32.60 COP 106.1K

15.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.08 MX$142

$7.34 COP 23.9K

10.08%

Cappuccino

$3.24 MX$56.8

$1.72 COP 5,600

88.37%

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

$1.37 MX$24.00

$1.05 COP 3,420

30.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 MX$15.86

$0.77 COP 2,515

16.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 MX$37.51

$1.69 COP 5,488

26.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.86 MX$67.7

$3.17 COP 10.3K

21.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 MX$24.31

$1.05 COP 3,423

32.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.69 MX$47.25

$1.30 COP 4,236

106.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 MX$29.53

$1.40 COP 4,544

20.00%

Eggs

$2.54 MX$44.58

$2.16 COP 7,047

17.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.19 MX$161

$4.39 COP 14.3K

109.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 MX$139

$5.88 COP 19.1K

34.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.98 MX$175

$8.64 COP 28.1K

15.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$47.39

$2.28 COP 7,426

18.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.67

$1.11 COP 3,604

31.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.87 MX$32.72

$1.53 COP 4,983

22.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 MX$26.52

$1.35 COP 4,410

11.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.71 MX$30.01

$1.13 COP 3,674

51.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.86

$1.13 COP 3,692

76.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 MX$24.20

$0.85 COP 2,753

62.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$19.60

$0.91 COP 2,975

23.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.56 MX$80.0

$2.34 COP 7,630

94.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.22 MX$197

$12.37 COP 40.3K

-9.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 MX$27.36

$1.20 COP 3,909

30.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 MX$56.7

$2.49 COP 8,104

29.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.11

$0.84 COP 2,728

-38.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.06 MX$457

$40.57 COP 132.1K

-35.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 MX$46.69

$1.42 COP 4,623

87.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 MX$28.30

$1.92 COP 6,235

-16.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.77 MX$206

$7.66 COP 24.9K

53.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 MX$23.31

$0.99 COP 3,223

34.34%

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

$23.6K MX$413.5K

$18.0K COP 58.7M

30.74%

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

$24.2K MX$424.0K

$26.6K COP 86.7M

-9.22%

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

$30.98 MX$543

$80.8 COP 263.1K

-61.66%

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

$23.74 MX$416

$9.95 COP 32.4K

138.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.13 MX$476

$24.18 COP 78.7K

12.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.02 MX$597

$25.08 COP 81.7K

35.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.92 MX$349

$19.15 COP 62.3K

4.02%

Cinema Ticket

$4.85 MX$85.1

$3.98 COP 13.0K

21.86%

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

$189 MX$3,320

$305 COP 993.5K

-37.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,333 MX$111.1K

$6,059 COP 19.7M

4.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.35 MX$866

$58.1 COP 189.2K

-15.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 MX$891

$32.20 COP 104.8K

57.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 MX$1,750

$101 COP 327.9K

-0.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.1 MX$1,633

$108 COP 350.8K

-13.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$720 MX$12.6K

$477 COP 1.6M

51.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$438 MX$7,690

$376 COP 1.2M

16.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,321 MX$23.2K

$845 COP 2.7M

56.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$847 MX$14.8K

$730 COP 2.4M

15.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,277 MX$57.5K

$3,215 COP 10.5M

1.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,021 MX$35.5K

$1,372 COP 4.5M

47.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$797 MX$14.0K

$617 COP 2.0M

29.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.48

13.43

-14.52%

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

Last update for Guadalajara: July 12, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $720 in Guadalajara and $477 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Guadalajara pays 29% 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: $38.00 in Guadalajara vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $257 vs $193 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

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

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 11% lower than in Guadalajara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 29% higher in Guadalajara, 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: $720 in Guadalajara versus $477 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Guadalajara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $38.00 in Guadalajara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,031 in Medellin versus $1,149 in Guadalajara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Guadalajara. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,031 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Guadalajara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.