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: $1,243 in Lazaro Cardenas versus $1,716 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,952 in Lazaro Cardenas versus $2,527 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,660 in Lazaro Cardenas versus $3,338 in Medellin.

Living in Lazaro Cardenas costs roughly 28% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lazaro Cardenas is 10% below, Medellin is 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.78 MX$199

$8.03 COP 25.1K

46.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.14 MX$796

$48.26 COP 150.8K

-2.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.89 MX$150

$9.77 COP 30.5K

-9.01%

Cappuccino

$3.78 MX$63.8

$2.91 COP 9,095

29.90%

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

$1.45 MX$24.51

$1.94 COP 6,074

-25.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 MX$19.22

$1.52 COP 4,754

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.96 MX$49.98

$3.09 COP 9,663

-4.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 MX$73.9

$5.74 COP 17.9K

-23.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$28.71

$1.36 COP 4,262

25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.92 MX$49.35

$2.39 COP 7,460

22.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.11

$1.70 COP 5,314

4.71%

Eggs

$2.63 MX$44.31

$2.87 COP 8,967

-8.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.63 MX$146

$9.94 COP 31.1K

-13.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.02 MX$135

$10.78 COP 33.7K

-25.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.55 MX$212

$14.73 COP 46.0K

-14.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.97 MX$50.2

$4.09 COP 12.8K

-27.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.20

$1.57 COP 4,911

2.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$33.73

$2.13 COP 6,642

-6.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.88 MX$31.80

$2.21 COP 6,917

-14.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 MX$35.44

$2.05 COP 6,396

2.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.04

$1.50 COP 4,700

26.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 MX$24.91

$1.19 COP 3,718

24.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 MX$20.38

$1.16 COP 3,619

4.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.59 MX$77.5

$3.90 COP 12.2K

17.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.42 MX$193

$14.44 COP 45.1K

-20.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 MX$32.92

$1.58 COP 4,948

23.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 MX$58.7

$2.83 COP 8,836

22.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 MX$12.52

$1.17 COP 3,650

-36.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 242.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 MX$46.92

$1.28 COP 4,014

117.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 MX$35.25

$2.09 COP 6,537

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.69 MX$197

$8.62 COP 26.9K

35.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$26.23

$1.30 COP 4,056

19.23%

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

$23.0K MX$389.0K

$27.7K COP 86.4M

-16.67%

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

$26.1K MX$441.2K

$35.5K COP 110.9M

-26.38%

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

$62.4 MX$1,054

$176 COP 550.1K

-64.54%

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

$23.98 MX$405

$13.37 COP 41.8K

79.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.04 MX$541

$29.89 COP 93.4K

7.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.23 MX$611

$44.76 COP 139.8K

-19.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.74 MX$367

$17.06 COP 53.3K

27.43%

Cinema Ticket

$5.51 MX$92.9

$6.20 COP 19.4K

-11.13%

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

$250 MX$4,215

$793 COP 2.5M

-68.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,912 MX$82.9K

$9,019 COP 28.2M

-45.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 MX$977

$85.6 COP 267.5K

-32.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.58 MX$769

$58.5 COP 182.7K

-22.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 MX$1,867

$136 COP 425.9K

-18.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.1 MX$1,572

$103 COP 322.2K

-9.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$643 MX$10.9K

$1,060 COP 3.3M

-39.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$418 MX$7,054

$680 COP 2.1M

-38.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,098 MX$18.5K

$2,012 COP 6.3M

-45.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$810 MX$13.7K

$1,169 COP 3.7M

-30.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,007 MX$33.9K

$4,111 COP 12.8M

-51.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,247 MX$21.0K

$1,701 COP 5.3M

-26.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$594 MX$10.0K

$665 COP 2.1M

-10.70%

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 Lazaro Cardenas: August 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $643 in Lazaro Cardenas and $1,060 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 12% 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: $47.00 in Lazaro Cardenas vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $280 vs $303 per month, with Lazaro Cardenas 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

Lazaro Cardenas wins on cost – living expenses run 38% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lazaro Cardenas the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 12% lower in Medellin. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $643 in Lazaro Cardenas versus $1,060 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $250 in Lazaro Cardenas versus $793 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Lazaro Cardenas – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,243 in Lazaro Cardenas versus $1,716 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Lazaro Cardenas but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Lazaro Cardenas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lazaro Cardenas delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,243 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lazaro Cardenas hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Lazaro Cardenas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.