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: $1,157 in Guadalajara versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,844 in Guadalajara versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,530 in Guadalajara versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Guadalajara is roughly 14% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Guadalajara 14% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.46 MX$181

$5.99 COP 21.4K

74.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.85 MX$673

$32.86 COP 117.2K

18.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.99 MX$139

$7.09 COP 25.3K

12.69%

Cappuccino

$3.19 MX$55.2

$1.71 COP 6,105

86.55%

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

$1.38 MX$23.99

$1.10 COP 3,918

25.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 MX$16.15

$0.78 COP 2,776

19.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.10 MX$36.45

$1.68 COP 5,987

25.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 MX$67.4

$3.07 COP 10.9K

26.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$24.29

$1.09 COP 3,899

28.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 MX$45.84

$1.26 COP 4,500

110.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 MX$28.85

$1.38 COP 4,914

20.29%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.52

$2.19 COP 7,813

14.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.63 MX$167

$4.40 COP 15.7K

118.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.67 MX$133

$5.63 COP 20.1K

36.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.37 MX$180

$8.89 COP 31.7K

16.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$45.85

$2.34 COP 8,334

13.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 MX$25.21

$1.06 COP 3,771

36.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 MX$31.25

$1.50 COP 5,365

20.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 MX$27.11

$1.38 COP 4,915

13.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 MX$31.18

$1.15 COP 4,104

56.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$34.79

$1.16 COP 4,148

73.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 MX$23.17

$0.89 COP 3,176

50.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.64

$0.84 COP 2,992

28.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.40 MX$76.2

$2.28 COP 8,131

92.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.22 MX$195

$10.64 COP 37.9K

5.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$28.05

$1.20 COP 4,276

35.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 MX$55.9

$2.47 COP 8,809

30.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$8.94

$0.86 COP 3,051

-39.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.91 MX$466

$41.40 COP 147.6K

-35.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.71 MX$46.94

$1.47 COP 5,255

84.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 MX$27.63

$1.96 COP 6,997

-18.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.68 MX$202

$7.74 COP 27.6K

50.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.87

$0.95 COP 3,403

38.95%

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

$24.2K MX$419.0K

$18.1K COP 64.6M

33.35%

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

$23.7K MX$410.4K

$26.5K COP 94.4M

-10.58%

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

$31.32 MX$543

$82.3 COP 293.2K

-61.92%

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

$24.53 MX$425

$9.50 COP 33.9K

158.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.53 MX$477

$24.23 COP 86.4K

13.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.01 MX$572

$25.89 COP 92.3K

27.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.54 MX$339

$19.00 COP 67.7K

2.84%

Cinema Ticket

$5.03 MX$87.2

$3.93 COP 14.0K

27.99%

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

$187 MX$3,234

$309 COP 1.1M

-39.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,425 MX$111.3K

$5,965 COP 21.3M

7.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.73 MX$862

$58.7 COP 209.1K

-15.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 MX$879

$32.35 COP 115.3K

56.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 MX$1,706

$103 COP 365.7K

-4.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.9 MX$1,575

$108 COP 386.5K

-16.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$706 MX$12.2K

$476 COP 1.7M

48.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$438 MX$7,590

$379 COP 1.4M

15.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 MX$23.5K

$838 COP 3.0M

61.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$842 MX$14.6K

$724 COP 2.6M

16.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,208 MX$55.6K

$2,791 COP 9.9M

14.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,998 MX$34.6K

$1,211 COP 4.3M

64.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$797 MX$13.8K

$512 COP 1.8M

55.77%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $706 in Guadalajara and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Guadalajara pays 56% 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: $39.00 in Guadalajara vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $257 vs $188 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 14% 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.

Guadalajara pays 56% 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: $706 in Guadalajara versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% 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 $39.00 in Guadalajara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,157 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 $1,013 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 14% less than in Guadalajara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.