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: $820 in Guanajuato versus $1,017 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,336 in Guanajuato versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,852 in Guanajuato versus $2,188 in Medellin.

Living in Guanajuato costs roughly 19% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Guanajuato 39% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 MX$139

$5.95 COP 20.8K

35.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.90 MX$582

$33.33 COP 116.3K

1.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.41 MX$110

$7.23 COP 25.2K

-11.34%

Cappuccino

$2.18 MX$37.41

$1.63 COP 5,687

33.74%

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

$1.29 MX$22.11

$1.09 COP 3,821

18.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.36

$0.73 COP 2,548

30.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.59 MX$44.41

$1.74 COP 6,065

48.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 MX$79.5

$3.23 COP 11.3K

43.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 MX$23.39

$1.05 COP 3,662

29.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.28 MX$39.06

$1.29 COP 4,515

76.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 MX$22.02

$1.32 COP 4,617

-3.03%

Eggs

$2.02 MX$34.61

$2.27 COP 7,927

-11.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.63 MX$96.6

$4.35 COP 15.2K

29.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.21 MX$124

$5.88 COP 20.5K

22.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.14 MX$157

$8.61 COP 30.0K

6.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 MX$47.24

$2.25 COP 7,844

22.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 MX$25.47

$1.07 COP 3,733

38.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 MX$31.05

$1.52 COP 5,322

19.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.99

$1.42 COP 4,964

30.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.99

$1.17 COP 4,084

64.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 MX$38.37

$1.17 COP 4,077

91.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.27 MX$21.86

$0.89 COP 3,096

42.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 MX$16.80

$0.90 COP 3,146

8.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.85 MX$66.1

$2.25 COP 7,837

71.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.77 MX$116

$11.04 COP 38.5K

-38.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.45

$1.14 COP 3,977

50.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 MX$57.5

$2.38 COP 8,301

40.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 MX$7.53

$0.84 COP 2,916

-47.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.24 MX$450

$41.95 COP 146.4K

-37.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 MX$13.36

$1.41 COP 4,912

-44.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.12 MX$19.21

$1.90 COP 6,634

-41.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 MX$145

$7.75 COP 27.0K

9.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.48

$1.01 COP 3,509

29.70%

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

$21.5K MX$369.2K

$17.6K COP 61.4M

22.37%

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

$22.2K MX$380.8K

$26.5K COP 92.5M

-16.27%

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

$46.76 MX$803

$83.7 COP 292.1K

-44.12%

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

$21.81 MX$374

$9.45 COP 33.0K

130.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.44 MX$368

$24.11 COP 84.1K

-11.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.49 MX$472

$25.31 COP 88.3K

8.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.10 MX$276

$19.14 COP 66.8K

-15.88%

Cinema Ticket

$4.65 MX$79.8

$4.10 COP 14.3K

13.41%

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

$187 MX$3,213

$312 COP 1.1M

-39.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,465 MX$59.5K

$5,993 COP 20.9M

-42.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 MX$1,016

$58.0 COP 202.6K

2.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.72 MX$630

$32.56 COP 113.6K

12.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$52.3 MX$897

$99.6 COP 347.7K

-47.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 MX$982

$109 COP 378.8K

-47.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$300 MX$5,143

$482 COP 1.7M

-37.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$184 MX$3,156

$379 COP 1.3M

-51.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$678 MX$11.6K

$837 COP 2.9M

-19.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$423 MX$7,259

$723 COP 2.5M

-41.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,431 MX$24.6K

$2,840 COP 9.9M

-49.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,125 MX$19.3K

$1,223 COP 4.3M

-8.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$758 MX$13.0K

$541 COP 1.9M

40.06%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $300 in Guanajuato and $482 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Guanajuato pays 40% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $34.00 in Guanajuato vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $190 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

Guanajuato vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Guanajuato wins on cost – living expenses run 24% 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.

Guanajuato pays 40% 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: $300 in Guanajuato versus $482 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 19% 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 $34.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $820 in Guanajuato versus $1,017 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 $820 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 24% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.