Cost of Living Comparison Between Guanajuato and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Guanajuato and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $795 in Guanajuato versus $1,003 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,350 in Guanajuato versus $1,573 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,904 in Guanajuato versus $2,143 in Medellin.

Living in Guanajuato costs roughly 21% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Guanajuato 40% lower, Medellin 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.13 MX$141

$5.91 COP 18.6K

37.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.93 MX$570

$32.96 COP 103.8K

-0.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.28 MX$109

$7.43 COP 23.4K

-15.48%

Cappuccino

$2.14 MX$36.97

$1.65 COP 5,207

29.70%

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

$1.29 MX$22.33

$1.10 COP 3,468

17.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.43

$0.78 COP 2,458

21.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.66 MX$46.05

$1.72 COP 5,412

54.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 MX$80.0

$3.18 COP 10.0K

45.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.78

$1.10 COP 3,474

20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 MX$39.80

$1.26 COP 3,962

82.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 MX$23.51

$1.38 COP 4,349

-1.45%

Eggs

$1.95 MX$33.77

$2.18 COP 6,858

-10.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.59 MX$96.8

$4.49 COP 14.1K

24.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.59 MX$131

$5.79 COP 18.2K

31.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.41 MX$163

$8.97 COP 28.2K

4.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 MX$47.18

$2.32 COP 7,308

17.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 MX$24.35

$1.06 COP 3,352

33.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 MX$30.45

$1.52 COP 4,774

15.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.82 MX$31.50

$1.36 COP 4,270

33.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.95

$1.13 COP 3,552

73.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.41

$1.17 COP 3,689

84.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 MX$22.93

$0.90 COP 2,838

47.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.86

$0.90 COP 2,823

7.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.04 MX$69.9

$2.23 COP 7,034

81.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.69 MX$116

$12.12 COP 38.2K

-44.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 MX$28.53

$1.19 COP 3,743

38.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.47 MX$60.0

$2.48 COP 7,815

39.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 MX$6.99

$0.85 COP 2,687

-52.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.38 MX$456

$41.62 COP 131.0K

-36.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.80 MX$13.93

$1.42 COP 4,459

-43.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.12 MX$19.46

$1.95 COP 6,141

-42.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 MX$147

$7.89 COP 24.8K

7.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.42

$0.99 COP 3,118

31.31%

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

$21.7K MX$375.1K

$17.6K COP 55.4M

23.17%

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

$21.6K MX$373.7K

$26.8K COP 84.4M

-19.41%

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

$46.17 MX$799

$83.0 COP 261.4K

-44.38%

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

$22.41 MX$388

$9.70 COP 30.5K

131.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.06 MX$364

$23.52 COP 74.1K

-10.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.95 MX$484

$25.26 COP 79.5K

10.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.95 MX$276

$19.10 COP 60.1K

-16.49%

Cinema Ticket

$4.71 MX$81.5

$3.95 COP 12.4K

19.24%

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

$183 MX$3,173

$316 COP 994.2K

-41.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,378 MX$58.4K

$5,975 COP 18.8M

-43.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.4 MX$993

$60.0 COP 188.9K

-4.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.80 MX$637

$31.82 COP 100.2K

15.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$52.9 MX$915

$102 COP 320.1K

-48.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.9 MX$1,020

$107 COP 338.3K

-45.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$305 MX$5,278

$475 COP 1.5M

-35.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$185 MX$3,193

$374 COP 1.2M

-50.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$699 MX$12.1K

$849 COP 2.7M

-17.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$429 MX$7,421

$719 COP 2.3M

-40.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,429 MX$24.7K

$3,265 COP 10.3M

-56.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,139 MX$19.7K

$1,441 COP 4.5M

-20.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$735 MX$12.7K

$624 COP 2.0M

17.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.5

13.43

-14.37%

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

Last update for Guanajuato: July 28, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $305 in Guanajuato and $475 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Guanajuato pays 18% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Guanajuato vs $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $226 vs $193, 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

Guanajuato vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Guanajuato wins on cost – living expenses run 26% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Guanajuato the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 18% higher in Guanajuato, 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: $305 in Guanajuato versus $475 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 17% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

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

At $795 in Guanajuato versus $1,003 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Guanajuato but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Guanajuato the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Guanajuato delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $795 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Guanajuato hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Guanajuato 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 Guanajuato gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.