Cost of Living Comparison Between Isla Mujeres and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Isla Mujeres and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,114 in Isla Mujeres versus $1,681 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,772 in Isla Mujeres versus $2,445 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,429 in Isla Mujeres versus $3,210 in Medellin.

Living in Isla Mujeres costs roughly 34% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Isla Mujeres is 19% below, Medellin is 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.42 MX$180

$8.02 COP 25.5K

29.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.22 MX$658

$47.87 COP 152.0K

-20.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.86 MX$135

$9.89 COP 31.4K

-20.53%

Cappuccino

$3.24 MX$55.9

$3.13 COP 9,941

3.51%

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

$1.27 MX$21.95

$1.91 COP 6,061

-33.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 MX$16.93

$1.51 COP 4,796

-35.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 MX$38.51

$3.12 COP 9,921

-28.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 MX$66.0

$5.75 COP 18.3K

-33.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$24.87

$1.44 COP 4,590

White Bread (500g)

$2.63 MX$45.30

$2.49 COP 7,898

5.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.08

$1.77 COP 5,634

-7.91%

Eggs

$2.38 MX$40.94

$2.96 COP 9,400

-19.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.82 MX$135

$10.07 COP 32.0K

-22.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 MX$137

$10.12 COP 32.1K

-21.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.59 MX$182

$14.30 COP 45.4K

-25.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.66 MX$45.90

$4.14 COP 13.1K

-35.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 MX$24.28

$1.61 COP 5,109

-12.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.37

$2.25 COP 7,132

-24.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.69 MX$29.10

$2.25 COP 7,154

-24.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$31.84

$2.04 COP 6,489

-9.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.46

$1.54 COP 4,876

29.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 MX$21.79

$1.17 COP 3,716

7.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 MX$17.47

$1.31 COP 4,150

-22.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$74.0

$3.90 COP 12.4K

10.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.95 MX$189

$14.01 COP 44.5K

-21.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$26.47

$1.74 COP 5,536

-11.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.74

$2.87 COP 9,116

-3.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 MX$10.64

$1.22 COP 3,860

-49.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 255.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 MX$45.40

$1.31 COP 4,157

101.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 MX$27.74

$2.19 COP 6,947

-26.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.06 MX$139

$8.71 COP 27.7K

-7.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.78

$1.37 COP 4,336

-8.03%

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

$21.1K MX$362.8K

$27.8K COP 88.4M

-24.32%

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

$22.6K MX$388.9K

$35.8K COP 113.6M

-36.88%

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

$57.1 MX$983

$177 COP 563.1K

-67.82%

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

$22.24 MX$383

$13.88 COP 44.1K

60.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.23 MX$486

$29.72 COP 94.4K

-5.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.06 MX$638

$44.88 COP 142.6K

-17.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.64 MX$269

$17.12 COP 54.4K

-8.64%

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 MX$78.1

$6.65 COP 21.1K

-31.73%

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

$205 MX$3,529

$813 COP 2.6M

-74.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,564 MX$61.4K

$9,187 COP 29.2M

-61.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.6 MX$923

$89.5 COP 284.3K

-40.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.48 MX$680

$59.0 COP 187.3K

-33.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.0 MX$1,568

$138 COP 439.0K

-34.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.3 MX$1,365

$102 COP 324.4K

-22.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$503 MX$8,669

$1,062 COP 3.4M

-52.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$399 MX$6,881

$663 COP 2.1M

-39.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$933 MX$16.1K

$1,888 COP 6.0M

-50.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$760 MX$13.1K

$1,027 COP 3.3M

-25.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,735 MX$29.9K

$4,183 COP 13.3M

-58.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,157 MX$19.9K

$1,675 COP 5.3M

-30.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.2M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.48

10.94

4.94%

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

Last update for Isla Mujeres: September 12, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $503 in Isla Mujeres and $1,062 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $38.00 in Isla Mujeres vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $251 vs $305 per month, with Isla Mujeres 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

Isla Mujeres vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Isla Mujeres and Medellin differ by about 51% in total monthly costs ($1,114 vs $1,681 including rent). Isla Mujeres is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,672 in Isla Mujeres and $2,521 in Medellin to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $503 in Isla Mujeres versus $1,062 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,114 per month in Isla Mujeres versus $1,681 in Medellin – a 51% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,114 in Isla Mujeres versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Isla Mujeres but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Isla Mujeres the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Isla Mujeres 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 Isla Mujeres gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.