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: $1,134 in Guanajuato versus $1,681 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,738 in Guanajuato versus $2,445 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,341 in Guanajuato versus $3,210 in Medellin.

Living in Guanajuato costs roughly 33% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Guanajuato is 17% below, Medellin is 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.33 MX$246

$8.02 COP 25.3K

78.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.94 MX$857

$47.87 COP 151.0K

4.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.77 MX$133

$9.89 COP 31.2K

-21.44%

Cappuccino

$4.11 MX$70.6

$3.13 COP 9,873

31.31%

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

$1.76 MX$30.26

$1.91 COP 6,019

-7.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$18.39

$1.51 COP 4,763

-29.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.89 MX$49.61

$3.12 COP 9,853

-7.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.34 MX$91.6

$5.75 COP 18.1K

-7.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 MX$28.55

$1.44 COP 4,558

15.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 MX$47.83

$2.49 COP 7,843

12.05%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 MX$27.10

$1.77 COP 5,595

-10.73%

Eggs

$2.58 MX$44.34

$2.96 COP 9,336

-12.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.97 MX$85.3

$10.07 COP 31.8K

-50.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.33 MX$177

$10.12 COP 31.9K

2.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.56 MX$216

$14.30 COP 45.1K

-12.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 MX$49.50

$4.14 COP 13.0K

-30.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 MX$29.98

$1.61 COP 5,073

8.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.11 MX$36.15

$2.25 COP 7,083

-6.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 MX$29.63

$2.25 COP 7,104

-23.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$2.04 COP 6,444

2.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.13

$1.54 COP 4,842

25.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 MX$26.34

$1.17 COP 3,691

30.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$19.93

$1.31 COP 4,121

-11.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.89 MX$83.9

$3.90 COP 12.3K

25.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.52 MX$198

$14.01 COP 44.2K

-17.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 MX$32.92

$1.74 COP 5,498

10.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.50 MX$60.1

$2.87 COP 9,053

21.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 MX$10.60

$1.22 COP 3,834

-49.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.47 MX$506

$80.5 COP 253.9K

-63.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.35 MX$40.30

$1.31 COP 4,129

79.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 MX$24.53

$2.19 COP 6,899

-34.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.06 MX$156

$8.71 COP 27.5K

4.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$25.96

$1.37 COP 4,306

10.22%

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

$21.3K MX$365.3K

$27.8K COP 87.8M

-23.55%

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

$25.3K MX$434.8K

$35.8K COP 112.8M

-29.20%

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

$53.1 MX$911

$177 COP 559.3K

-70.07%

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

$21.23 MX$364

$13.88 COP 43.8K

52.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.10 MX$517

$29.72 COP 93.8K

1.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.64 MX$560

$44.88 COP 141.6K

-27.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.39 MX$504

$17.12 COP 54.0K

71.67%

Cinema Ticket

$6.86 MX$118

$6.65 COP 21.0K

3.16%

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

$217 MX$3,729

$813 COP 2.6M

-73.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,028 MX$103.5K

$9,187 COP 29.0M

-34.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.9 MX$1,062

$89.5 COP 282.3K

-30.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.68 MX$664

$59.0 COP 186.0K

-34.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.9 MX$1,388

$138 COP 435.9K

-41.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.4 MX$1,036

$102 COP 322.1K

-40.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$547 MX$9,393

$1,062 COP 3.3M

-48.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$322 MX$5,522

$663 COP 2.1M

-51.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 MX$14.2K

$1,888 COP 6.0M

-56.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$411 MX$7,055

$1,027 COP 3.2M

-59.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,413 MX$24.2K

$4,183 COP 13.2M

-66.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,148 MX$19.7K

$1,675 COP 5.3M

-31.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$752 MX$12.9K

$678 COP 2.1M

10.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

10.94

3.29%

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

Last update for Guanajuato: September 12, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $547 in Guanajuato and $1,062 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Guanajuato pays 11% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $50.0 in Guanajuato vs $48.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $277 vs $305, with Guanajuato 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 48% 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 11% 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: $547 in Guanajuato versus $1,062 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Guanajuato – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,134 in Guanajuato versus $1,681 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 $1,134 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 48% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.