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: $812 in Guanajuato versus $1,034 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,342 in Guanajuato versus $1,577 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,872 in Guanajuato versus $2,120 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 39% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.22 MX$143

$5.92 COP 21.5K

38.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.71 MX$569

$32.75 COP 119.1K

-0.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.42 MX$112

$7.20 COP 26.2K

-10.83%

Cappuccino

$2.15 MX$37.35

$1.70 COP 6,186

26.47%

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

$1.25 MX$21.68

$1.10 COP 3,996

13.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 MX$15.46

$0.72 COP 2,625

23.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.60 MX$45.24

$1.67 COP 6,067

55.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.44 MX$77.3

$3.10 COP 11.3K

43.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$24.03

$1.06 COP 3,837

30.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 MX$39.51

$1.25 COP 4,531

81.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.31 MX$22.75

$1.39 COP 5,060

-5.76%

Eggs

$2.02 MX$35.23

$2.26 COP 8,229

-10.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.53 MX$96.3

$4.33 COP 15.8K

27.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.55 MX$131

$5.84 COP 21.2K

29.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.34 MX$163

$8.83 COP 32.1K

5.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.82 MX$49.14

$2.24 COP 8,159

25.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 MX$24.72

$1.08 COP 3,911

31.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 MX$31.74

$1.53 COP 5,563

18.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.90 MX$33.14

$1.37 COP 4,987

38.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.84

$1.13 COP 4,109

76.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.43

$1.12 COP 4,067

91.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 MX$23.17

$0.85 COP 3,080

56.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$16.43

$0.91 COP 3,305

3.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.01 MX$69.7

$2.33 COP 8,477

72.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.81 MX$119

$11.13 COP 40.5K

-38.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.90

$1.19 COP 4,342

39.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 MX$58.9

$2.37 COP 8,617

42.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 MX$7.56

$0.79 COP 2,859

-45.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.04 MX$453

$41.13 COP 149.6K

-36.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.83 MX$14.43

$1.44 COP 5,223

-42.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 MX$19.36

$1.91 COP 6,952

-41.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.61 MX$150

$8.02 COP 29.2K

7.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.66

$0.94 COP 3,410

38.30%

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

$21.2K MX$369.6K

$17.9K COP 65.2M

18.53%

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

$21.6K MX$375.4K

$26.8K COP 97.4M

-19.47%

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

$46.23 MX$804

$84.0 COP 305.4K

-44.94%

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

$22.53 MX$392

$9.60 COP 34.9K

134.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$20.84 MX$363

$24.16 COP 87.9K

-13.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.71 MX$482

$25.88 COP 94.1K

7.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.95 MX$277

$19.04 COP 69.3K

-16.23%

Cinema Ticket

$4.77 MX$83.0

$3.92 COP 14.2K

21.68%

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

$185 MX$3,223

$306 COP 1.1M

-39.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,450 MX$60.0K

$5,919 COP 21.5M

-41.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.0 MX$1,026

$57.9 COP 210.6K

1.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.63 MX$637

$31.82 COP 115.7K

15.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.9 MX$903

$99.9 COP 363.3K

-48.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.8 MX$1,006

$107 COP 389.7K

-46.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$301 MX$5,234

$487 COP 1.8M

-38.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$186 MX$3,235

$368 COP 1.3M

-49.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$695 MX$12.1K

$826 COP 3.0M

-15.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$419 MX$7,285

$716 COP 2.6M

-41.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,396 MX$24.3K

$2,925 COP 10.6M

-52.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,148 MX$20.0K

$1,407 COP 5.1M

-18.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$751 MX$13.1K

$546 COP 2.0M

37.73%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $301 in Guanajuato and $487 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Guanajuato pays 38% 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 $227 vs $190, 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 27% 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 38% 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: $301 in Guanajuato versus $487 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 20% 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 $812 in Guanajuato versus $1,034 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 $812 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 27% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.