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: $1,121 in Lazaro Cardenas versus $1,030 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,771 in Lazaro Cardenas versus $1,586 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,422 in Lazaro Cardenas versus $2,143 in Medellin.

Living in Lazaro Cardenas is roughly 9% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lazaro Cardenas 16% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.42 MX$181

$5.92 COP 21.2K

76.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.63 MX$669

$33.17 COP 118.7K

16.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.03 MX$139

$7.25 COP 25.9K

10.76%

Cappuccino

$3.39 MX$58.8

$1.71 COP 6,137

98.25%

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

$1.28 MX$22.24

$1.09 COP 3,915

17.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.82

$0.77 COP 2,743

25.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.34 MX$40.59

$1.75 COP 6,254

33.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.86 MX$66.9

$3.18 COP 11.4K

21.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$24.99

$1.06 COP 3,792

35.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 MX$44.24

$1.30 COP 4,657

96.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.16

$1.38 COP 4,926

18.12%

Eggs

$2.37 MX$41.14

$2.21 COP 7,908

7.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.97 MX$138

$4.52 COP 16.2K

76.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.73 MX$134

$5.80 COP 20.7K

33.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.44 MX$181

$8.97 COP 32.1K

16.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.67 MX$46.25

$2.29 COP 8,182

16.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$24.82

$1.06 COP 3,791

34.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.86

$1.51 COP 5,411

13.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.83

$1.36 COP 4,869

18.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.12

$1.16 COP 4,146

59.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.70

$1.17 COP 4,174

70.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 MX$21.71

$0.83 COP 2,960

50.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 MX$17.61

$0.85 COP 3,043

20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.9

$2.35 COP 8,423

76.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 MX$188

$11.09 COP 39.7K

-1.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 MX$26.88

$1.15 COP 4,133

34.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 MX$48.99

$2.47 COP 8,853

14.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.43

$0.79 COP 2,827

-24.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.85 COP 149.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 MX$45.54

$1.44 COP 5,140

82.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 MX$27.62

$1.90 COP 6,793

-16.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.44 MX$146

$7.70 COP 27.6K

9.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 MX$22.98

$1.03 COP 3,680

29.13%

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

$21.2K MX$366.9K

$17.7K COP 63.3M

19.75%

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

$22.9K MX$396.5K

$27.0K COP 96.7M

-15.30%

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

$55.5 MX$963

$81.4 COP 291.4K

-31.79%

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

$21.88 MX$379

$9.42 COP 33.7K

132.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.23 MX$489

$23.77 COP 85.1K

18.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.42 MX$614

$25.86 COP 92.6K

36.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.85 MX$275

$19.34 COP 69.2K

-18.05%

Cinema Ticket

$4.64 MX$80.5

$4.05 COP 14.5K

14.57%

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

$210 MX$3,646

$312 COP 1.1M

-32.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,606 MX$62.5K

$6,067 COP 21.7M

-40.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 MX$928

$58.9 COP 210.7K

-9.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.20 MX$679

$32.82 COP 117.5K

19.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.8 MX$1,539

$100 COP 359.6K

-11.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 MX$1,366

$106 COP 380.3K

-25.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$517 MX$8,966

$490 COP 1.8M

5.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$394 MX$6,820

$371 COP 1.3M

6.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$949 MX$16.4K

$838 COP 3.0M

13.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$749 MX$13.0K

$715 COP 2.6M

4.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,037 MX$35.3K

$2,952 COP 10.6M

-30.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,271 MX$22.0K

$1,394 COP 5.0M

-8.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$581 MX$10.1K

$532 COP 1.9M

9.12%

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: April 21, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $517 in Lazaro Cardenas and $490 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lazaro Cardenas pays 9% 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: $39 in Lazaro Cardenas vs $33 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $249 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

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

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 9% 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 9% 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: $517 in Lazaro Cardenas versus $490 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $210 in Lazaro Cardenas versus $312 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 $39.00 in Lazaro Cardenas. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,030 in Medellin versus $1,121 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 $1,030 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 9% less than in Lazaro Cardenas. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.