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: $1,093 in Los Cabos versus $1,034 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,760 in Los Cabos versus $1,577 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,427 in Los Cabos versus $2,120 in Medellin.

Living in Los Cabos is roughly 6% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Los Cabos 18% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$185

$5.92 COP 21.5K

79.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.18 MX$682

$32.75 COP 119.1K

19.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.06 MX$140

$7.20 COP 26.2K

11.94%

Cappuccino

$3.29 MX$57.2

$1.70 COP 6,186

93.53%

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

$1.23 MX$21.44

$1.10 COP 3,996

11.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 MX$17.17

$0.72 COP 2,625

37.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 MX$41.95

$1.67 COP 6,067

44.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 MX$67.6

$3.10 COP 11.3K

25.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 MX$26.08

$1.06 COP 3,837

41.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 MX$45.24

$1.25 COP 4,531

108.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.38

$1.39 COP 5,060

17.27%

Eggs

$2.36 MX$41.13

$2.26 COP 8,229

4.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.89 MX$137

$4.33 COP 15.8K

82.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.66 MX$133

$5.84 COP 21.2K

31.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.55 MX$184

$8.83 COP 32.1K

19.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.33

$2.24 COP 8,159

16.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$24.00

$1.08 COP 3,911

27.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 MX$31.29

$1.53 COP 5,563

17.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.58

$1.37 COP 4,987

19.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$33.49

$1.13 COP 4,109

69.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 MX$33.71

$1.12 COP 4,067

73.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 MX$20.77

$0.85 COP 3,080

40.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 MX$17.66

$0.91 COP 3,305

10.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.26 MX$74.2

$2.33 COP 8,477

82.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.01 MX$192

$11.13 COP 40.5K

-1.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$27.75

$1.19 COP 4,342

33.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 MX$47.94

$2.37 COP 8,617

16.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 MX$10.62

$0.79 COP 2,859

-22.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 149.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.61 MX$45.33

$1.44 COP 5,223

81.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 MX$27.75

$1.91 COP 6,952

-16.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.21 MX$143

$8.02 COP 29.2K

2.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.93

$0.94 COP 3,410

40.43%

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

$21.5K MX$374.2K

$17.9K COP 65.2M

19.99%

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

$22.2K MX$385.7K

$26.8K COP 97.4M

-17.26%

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

$56.0 MX$975

$84.0 COP 305.4K

-33.25%

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

$22.04 MX$383

$9.60 COP 34.9K

129.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.65 MX$481

$24.16 COP 87.9K

14.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.87 MX$624

$25.88 COP 94.1K

38.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.92 MX$277

$19.04 COP 69.3K

-16.39%

Cinema Ticket

$4.52 MX$78.7

$3.92 COP 14.2K

15.31%

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

$205 MX$3,572

$306 COP 1.1M

-32.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,627 MX$63.1K

$5,919 COP 21.5M

-38.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.4 MX$912

$57.9 COP 210.6K

-9.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.06 MX$697

$31.82 COP 115.7K

25.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.2 MX$1,588

$99.9 COP 363.3K

-8.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.0 MX$1,391

$107 COP 389.7K

-25.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$504 MX$8,775

$487 COP 1.8M

3.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$394 MX$6,857

$368 COP 1.3M

7.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$949 MX$16.5K

$826 COP 3.0M

14.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$762 MX$13.3K

$716 COP 2.6M

6.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,992 MX$34.7K

$2,925 COP 10.6M

-31.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,288 MX$22.4K

$1,407 COP 5.1M

-8.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$854 MX$14.9K

$546 COP 2.0M

56.57%

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 Los Cabos: April 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $504 in Los Cabos and $487 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Los Cabos pays 57% 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: $39.00 in Los Cabos vs $33.00 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

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

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Los Cabos pays 57% 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: $504 in Los Cabos versus $487 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Los Cabos. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,093 per month in Los Cabos versus $1,034 in Medellin – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,034 in Medellin versus $1,093 in Los Cabos, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Los Cabos. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Los Cabos. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.