Cost of Living Comparison Between Los Cabos and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Los Cabos and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,484 in Los Cabos versus $1,641 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,376 in Los Cabos versus $2,447 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,268 in Los Cabos versus $3,253 in Medellin.

Living in Los Cabos costs roughly 10% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Los Cabos 8% above, Medellin 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.29 MX$412

$8.04 COP 24.8K

202.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.37 MX$787

$48.29 COP 148.6K

-3.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.81 MX$234

$9.42 COP 29.0K

46.60%

Cappuccino

$5.46 MX$92.7

$2.94 COP 9,040

85.71%

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

$2.43 MX$41.29

$1.86 COP 5,735

30.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 MX$34.56

$1.46 COP 4,479

39.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.98 MX$84.5

$3.21 COP 9,882

55.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.97 MX$152

$5.71 COP 17.6K

57.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MX$28.85

$1.44 COP 4,428

18.06%

White Bread (500g)

$3.18 MX$54.0

$2.40 COP 7,389

32.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.52 MX$42.77

$1.70 COP 5,228

48.24%

Eggs

$2.57 MX$43.66

$2.89 COP 8,896

-11.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.04 MX$170

$10.06 COP 30.9K

-0.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.22 MX$173

$9.97 COP 30.7K

2.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.15 MX$325

$14.20 COP 43.7K

34.86%

Apples (1kg)

$4.46 MX$75.6

$3.98 COP 12.3K

12.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 MX$31.87

$1.58 COP 4,878

18.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.13 MX$53.2

$2.15 COP 6,624

45.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.71 MX$45.96

$2.30 COP 7,078

17.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.42 MX$41.02

$2.00 COP 6,169

21.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 MX$48.35

$1.51 COP 4,646

88.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$23.59

$1.20 COP 3,701

15.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 MX$14.92

$1.28 COP 3,946

-31.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.99 MX$84.6

$3.84 COP 11.8K

29.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.27 MX$191

$14.01 COP 43.1K

-19.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 MX$28.05

$1.71 COP 5,256

-3.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 MX$56.8

$2.74 COP 8,440

22.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.45 MX$24.57

$1.25 COP 3,834

16.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.82 MX$47.83

$1.31 COP 4,016

115.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 MX$36.79

$2.17 COP 6,680

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.65 MX$198

$8.29 COP 25.5K

40.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.07

$1.36 COP 4,172

13.24%

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

$22.4K MX$380.4K

$27.5K COP 84.5M

-18.37%

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

$25.6K MX$433.9K

$36.5K COP 112.4M

-30.00%

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

$63.7 MX$1,080

$169 COP 519.2K

-62.25%

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

$29.60 MX$502

$13.57 COP 41.8K

118.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.66 MX$452

$28.32 COP 87.2K

-5.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.35 MX$634

$45.71 COP 140.7K

-18.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.34 MX$362

$17.22 COP 53.0K

23.93%

Cinema Ticket

$4.76 MX$80.8

$6.65 COP 20.5K

-28.42%

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

$247 MX$4,191

$803 COP 2.5M

-69.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,856 MX$82.4K

$9,190 COP 28.3M

-47.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.2 MX$1,666

$87.4 COP 268.8K

12.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.04 MX$781

$59.4 COP 182.7K

-22.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 MX$2,231

$139 COP 427.5K

-5.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.3 MX$1,548

$102 COP 314.0K

-10.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$650 MX$11.0K

$1,071 COP 3.3M

-39.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$421 MX$7,134

$653 COP 2.0M

-35.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,135 MX$19.3K

$1,925 COP 5.9M

-41.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$831 MX$14.1K

$1,048 COP 3.2M

-20.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,976 MX$33.5K

$4,123 COP 12.7M

-52.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,212 MX$20.6K

$1,697 COP 5.2M

-28.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$892 MX$15.1K

$655 COP 2.0M

36.19%

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 Los Cabos: September 7, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $650 in Los Cabos and $1,071 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Los Cabos pays 36% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $46.00 in Los Cabos vs $48.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $334 vs $300, with Medellin 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

Los Cabos vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Los Cabos is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 36% higher in Los Cabos, 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: $650 in Los Cabos versus $1,071 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,484 per month in Los Cabos versus $1,641 in Medellin – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,484 in Los Cabos versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Los Cabos but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Los Cabos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Los Cabos is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Los Cabos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.