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: $1,101 in Los Cabos versus $1,003 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,757 in Los Cabos versus $1,573 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,414 in Los Cabos versus $2,143 in Medellin.

Living in Los Cabos is roughly 10% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Los Cabos 17% lower, Medellin 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.48 MX$183

$5.91 COP 18.9K

77.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.57 MX$673

$32.96 COP 105.2K

17.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.95 MX$139

$7.43 COP 23.7K

7.00%

Cappuccino

$3.37 MX$58.7

$1.65 COP 5,276

104.24%

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

$1.25 MX$21.75

$1.10 COP 3,514

13.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.96 MX$16.79

$0.78 COP 2,491

23.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.34 MX$40.86

$1.72 COP 5,484

36.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.83 MX$66.8

$3.18 COP 10.1K

20.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$25.12

$1.10 COP 3,521

30.91%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 MX$45.27

$1.26 COP 4,015

106.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$27.21

$1.38 COP 4,407

13.04%

Eggs

$2.33 MX$40.64

$2.18 COP 6,950

6.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.12 MX$142

$4.49 COP 14.3K

80.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.05 MX$140

$5.79 COP 18.5K

39.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.49 MX$183

$8.97 COP 28.6K

16.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 MX$46.87

$2.32 COP 7,405

15.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$24.15

$1.06 COP 3,397

30.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 MX$30.02

$1.52 COP 4,838

13.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 MX$27.66

$1.36 COP 4,327

16.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 MX$32.14

$1.13 COP 3,599

62.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 MX$33.89

$1.17 COP 3,738

65.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 MX$21.04

$0.90 COP 2,876

34.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 MX$17.23

$0.90 COP 2,861

10.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.28 MX$74.7

$2.23 COP 7,128

91.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.70 MX$187

$12.12 COP 38.7K

-11.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 MX$28.05

$1.19 COP 3,793

35.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$48.03

$2.48 COP 7,920

10.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 MX$10.62

$0.85 COP 2,723

-28.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 132.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.53 MX$44.07

$1.42 COP 4,518

78.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 MX$27.99

$1.95 COP 6,223

-17.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.39 MX$146

$7.89 COP 25.2K

6.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 MX$21.86

$0.99 COP 3,160

26.26%

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

$21.5K MX$375.0K

$17.6K COP 56.2M

22.16%

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

$22.7K MX$395.2K

$26.8K COP 85.5M

-15.45%

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

$57.2 MX$998

$83.0 COP 264.9K

-31.09%

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

$22.39 MX$390

$9.70 COP 30.9K

130.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.66 MX$482

$23.52 COP 75.0K

17.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.54 MX$620

$25.26 COP 80.6K

40.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.99 MX$279

$19.10 COP 60.9K

-16.28%

Cinema Ticket

$4.75 MX$82.9

$3.95 COP 12.6K

20.25%

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

$205 MX$3,569

$316 COP 1.0M

-35.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,637 MX$63.4K

$5,975 COP 19.1M

-39.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 MX$939

$60.0 COP 191.4K

-10.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.95 MX$697

$31.82 COP 101.5K

25.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.3 MX$1,540

$102 COP 324.4K

-13.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.0 MX$1,361

$107 COP 342.8K

-27.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$514 MX$8,960

$475 COP 1.5M

8.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$389 MX$6,784

$374 COP 1.2M

4.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$947 MX$16.5K

$849 COP 2.7M

11.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$777 MX$13.5K

$719 COP 2.3M

7.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,865 MX$32.5K

$3,265 COP 10.4M

-42.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,232 MX$21.5K

$1,441 COP 4.6M

-14.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$845 MX$14.7K

$624 COP 2.0M

35.25%

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $514 in Los Cabos and $475 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Los Cabos pays 35% 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 $250 vs $193 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 10% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 35% 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: $514 in Los Cabos versus $475 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Los Cabos. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,101 per month in Los Cabos versus $1,003 in Medellin – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,003 in Medellin versus $1,101 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 10% less than in Los Cabos. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.