Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Los Cabos and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Los Cabos: $1,433 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Medellin outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

69

Cost of Living Index in Los Cabos
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Los Cabos Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index

Jump to prices

Los Cabos

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,433

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Los Cabos and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Los Cabos and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,433 in Los Cabos versus $1,639 in Medellin.

Los Cabos $1,433
Medellin $1,639

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,236 in Los Cabos versus $2,413 in Medellin.

Los Cabos $2,236
Medellin $2,413

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,039 in Los Cabos versus $3,186 in Medellin.

Los Cabos $3,039
Medellin $3,186

Living in Los Cabos costs roughly 13% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Los Cabos 5% above, Medellin 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.25 MX$417

$8.09 COP 26.1K

175.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.10 MX$808

$47.05 COP 151.9K

-8.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.63 MX$255

$9.50 COP 30.7K

43.47%

Cappuccino

$5.17 MX$97.0

$3.01 COP 9,734

71.76%

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

$2.35 MX$44.11

$1.80 COP 5,809

30.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 MX$37.09

$1.41 COP 4,560

40.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.07 MX$95.1

$3.18 COP 10.3K

59.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.23 MX$154

$5.75 COP 18.6K

43.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 MX$29.14

$1.51 COP 4,875

3.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 MX$52.4

$2.38 COP 7,677

17.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.27 MX$42.53

$1.77 COP 5,719

28.25%

Eggs

$2.37 MX$44.46

$2.89 COP 9,332

-17.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.29 MX$174

$10.19 COP 32.9K

-8.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.62 MX$180

$9.87 COP 31.9K

-2.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.21 MX$322

$13.99 COP 45.2K

23.02%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 MX$74.9

$3.97 COP 12.8K

0.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 MX$31.61

$1.55 COP 5,011

9.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.88 MX$54.0

$2.18 COP 7,047

32.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.40 MX$44.91

$2.18 COP 7,050

10.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.30 MX$43.03

$1.96 COP 6,336

17.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 MX$47.67

$1.59 COP 5,131

59.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 MX$24.03

$1.15 COP 3,698

11.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 MX$14.77

$1.24 COP 4,014

-36.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.43 MX$83.1

$3.96 COP 12.8K

11.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.36 MX$194

$13.68 COP 44.2K

-24.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 MX$28.54

$1.66 COP 5,359

-8.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 MX$57.8

$2.26 COP 7,290

36.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 MX$25.68

$1.17 COP 3,770

17.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.56 MX$554

$77.4 COP 249.8K

-61.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.48 MX$46.55

$1.27 COP 4,094

95.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.97 MX$36.91

$2.05 COP 6,611

-3.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.11 MX$189

$8.55 COP 27.6K

18.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$25.19

$1.35 COP 4,348

-0.74%

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

$23.4K MX$438.7K

$34.1K COP 110.0M

-31.29%

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

$23.3K MX$437.0K

$34.7K COP 111.9M

-32.74%

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

$56.6 MX$1,060

$170 COP 547.7K

-66.67%

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

$27.37 MX$513

$13.55 COP 43.7K

101.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.83 MX$447

$28.07 COP 90.6K

-15.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.66 MX$612

$43.70 COP 141.1K

-25.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.67 MX$369

$17.19 COP 55.5K

14.43%

Cinema Ticket

$4.21 MX$78.8

$6.91 COP 22.3K

-39.07%

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

$214 MX$4,003

$797 COP 2.6M

-73.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,525 MX$84.8K

$9,112 COP 29.4M

-50.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.5 MX$1,715

$84.7 COP 273.5K

8.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.53 MX$741

$58.0 COP 187.1K

-31.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 MX$2,311

$135 COP 435.7K

-8.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.9 MX$1,665

$97.9 COP 316.0K

-9.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$597 MX$11.2K

$1,208 COP 3.9M

-50.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$438 MX$8,206

$642 COP 2.1M

-31.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 MX$18.8K

$2,028 COP 6.5M

-50.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$741 MX$13.9K

$1,012 COP 3.3M

-26.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,854 MX$34.7K

$4,170 COP 13.5M

-55.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,114 MX$20.9K

$1,910 COP 6.2M

-41.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$794 MX$14.9K

$657 COP 2.1M

20.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.31

10.94

3.38%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Los Cabos: October 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Los Cabos

$438 30.6%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 46.5% $204

Eating Out

Los Cabos

$340 23.7%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 50.1% $170

Groceries & Markets

Los Cabos

$304 21.2%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 2.4% $7.4

Clothing & Footwear

Los Cabos

$154 10.8%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 9.4% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Los Cabos

$108 7.5%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 96.1% $104

Getting Around

Los Cabos

$47 3.3%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 97.5% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Los Cabos

$41 2.9%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 40% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $597 in Los Cabos and $1,208 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Los Cabos pays 21% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43 in Los Cabos vs $47 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $304 vs $297, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Los Cabos

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

00:25 12:25 AM

02:25 2:25 AM

2 h ahead of Los Cabos

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

202,694

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.34 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,615 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Los Cabos Medellin 4,110 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Los Cabos
Medellin

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 about 13% cheaper overall, especially in transport, leisure, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 21% 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: $597 in Los Cabos versus $1,208 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Los Cabos runs roughly 62% less than in Medellin. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $1,433 per month in Los Cabos versus $1,639 in Medellin – Los Cabos is about 13% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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.