Cost of Living Comparison Between Lazaro Cardenas and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Lazaro Cardenas and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,089 in Lazaro Cardenas versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,741 in Lazaro Cardenas versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,394 in Lazaro Cardenas versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Lazaro Cardenas is roughly 8% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lazaro Cardenas 19% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.61 MX$185

$5.99 COP 21.5K

77.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.39 MX$671

$32.86 COP 118.1K

16.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.84 MX$137

$7.09 COP 25.5K

10.58%

Cappuccino

$3.40 MX$59.3

$1.71 COP 6,154

98.83%

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

$1.25 MX$21.76

$1.10 COP 3,949

13.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.88

$0.78 COP 2,798

16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.43 MX$42.43

$1.68 COP 6,035

44.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 MX$66.9

$3.07 COP 11.0K

24.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 MX$26.11

$1.09 COP 3,930

36.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 MX$45.07

$1.26 COP 4,536

104.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.42

$1.38 COP 4,953

18.12%

Eggs

$2.34 MX$40.82

$2.19 COP 7,876

6.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.99 MX$140

$4.40 COP 15.8K

81.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.71 MX$135

$5.63 COP 20.2K

36.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.55 MX$184

$8.89 COP 32.0K

18.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.51

$2.34 COP 8,401

11.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.44 MX$25.22

$1.06 COP 3,801

35.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 MX$30.98

$1.50 COP 5,408

18.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 MX$27.70

$1.38 COP 4,955

15.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.42

$1.15 COP 4,137

66.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 MX$35.16

$1.16 COP 4,181

73.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 MX$21.03

$0.89 COP 3,202

34.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 MX$17.11

$0.84 COP 3,016

16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$74.4

$2.28 COP 8,196

86.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.78 MX$188

$10.64 COP 38.2K

1.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$28.31

$1.20 COP 4,311

35.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 MX$49.26

$2.47 COP 8,880

14.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 MX$10.82

$0.86 COP 3,075

-27.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 148.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 MX$44.49

$1.47 COP 5,297

73.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 MX$26.93

$1.96 COP 7,053

-21.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 MX$148

$7.74 COP 27.8K

9.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.77

$0.95 COP 3,430

36.84%

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

$21.5K MX$375.2K

$18.1K COP 65.2M

18.49%

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

$22.7K MX$397.0K

$26.5K COP 95.2M

-14.18%

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

$55.6 MX$971

$82.3 COP 295.6K

-32.38%

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

$22.43 MX$392

$9.50 COP 34.1K

136.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 MX$490

$24.23 COP 87.1K

15.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.67 MX$623

$25.89 COP 93.0K

37.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.67 MX$274

$19.00 COP 68.3K

-17.53%

Cinema Ticket

$4.70 MX$82.1

$3.93 COP 14.1K

19.59%

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

$207 MX$3,611

$309 COP 1.1M

-33.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,582 MX$62.6K

$5,965 COP 21.4M

-39.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 MX$917

$58.7 COP 210.8K

-10.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.83 MX$696

$32.35 COP 116.2K

23.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 MX$1,587

$103 COP 368.7K

-11.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.1 MX$1,398

$108 COP 389.6K

-26.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$505 MX$8,812

$476 COP 1.7M

5.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$399 MX$6,972

$379 COP 1.4M

5.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$949 MX$16.6K

$838 COP 3.0M

13.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$773 MX$13.5K

$724 COP 2.6M

6.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,972 MX$34.4K

$2,791 COP 10.0M

-29.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,271 MX$22.2K

$1,211 COP 4.4M

4.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$582 MX$10.2K

$512 COP 1.8M

13.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.48

13.43

-14.52%

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

Last update for Lazaro Cardenas: June 1, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $505 in Lazaro Cardenas and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lazaro Cardenas pays 14% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $38.00 in Lazaro Cardenas vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 vs $188 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

Lazaro Cardenas vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Lazaro Cardenas. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Lazaro Cardenas pays 14% 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: $505 in Lazaro Cardenas versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $207 in Lazaro Cardenas versus $309 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $38.00 in Lazaro Cardenas. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,089 in Lazaro Cardenas, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Lazaro Cardenas. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,013 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Lazaro Cardenas. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.