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: $1,106 in Los Cabos versus $1,017 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,747 in Los Cabos versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,389 in Los Cabos versus $2,188 in Medellin.

Living in Los Cabos is roughly 9% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Los Cabos 18% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.62 MX$182

$5.95 COP 20.8K

78.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.93 MX$668

$33.33 COP 116.3K

16.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.98 MX$137

$7.23 COP 25.2K

10.37%

Cappuccino

$3.38 MX$58.1

$1.63 COP 5,687

107.36%

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

$1.25 MX$21.40

$1.09 COP 3,821

14.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 MX$15.37

$0.73 COP 2,548

23.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 MX$41.91

$1.74 COP 6,065

40.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 MX$66.8

$3.23 COP 11.3K

20.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 MX$25.52

$1.05 COP 3,662

41.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 MX$43.63

$1.29 COP 4,515

96.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 MX$27.86

$1.32 COP 4,617

22.73%

Eggs

$2.30 MX$39.56

$2.27 COP 7,927

1.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.16 MX$140

$4.35 COP 15.2K

87.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.74 MX$133

$5.88 COP 20.5K

31.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 MX$184

$8.61 COP 30.0K

24.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.65 MX$45.55

$2.25 COP 7,844

17.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$24.55

$1.07 COP 3,733

33.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.32

$1.52 COP 5,322

12.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.21

$1.42 COP 4,964

15.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.10

$1.17 COP 4,084

64.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.17

$1.17 COP 4,077

64.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 MX$20.76

$0.89 COP 3,096

35.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 MX$16.82

$0.90 COP 3,146

8.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.28 MX$73.5

$2.25 COP 7,837

90.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.90 MX$187

$11.04 COP 38.5K

-1.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$27.37

$1.14 COP 3,977

39.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 MX$47.75

$2.38 COP 8,301

16.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 MX$10.51

$0.84 COP 2,916

-27.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.54 MX$43.68

$1.41 COP 4,912

80.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 MX$27.59

$1.90 COP 6,634

-15.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.14 MX$140

$7.75 COP 27.0K

5.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.87

$1.01 COP 3,509

25.74%

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

$21.5K MX$368.8K

$17.6K COP 61.4M

22.22%

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

$22.4K MX$384.6K

$26.5K COP 92.5M

-15.43%

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

$56.3 MX$966

$83.7 COP 292.1K

-32.77%

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

$22.01 MX$378

$9.45 COP 33.0K

132.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.40 MX$487

$24.11 COP 84.1K

17.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.36 MX$624

$25.31 COP 88.3K

43.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.88 MX$273

$19.14 COP 66.8K

-17.03%

Cinema Ticket

$4.53 MX$77.8

$4.10 COP 14.3K

10.49%

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

$206 MX$3,543

$312 COP 1.1M

-33.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,530 MX$60.6K

$5,993 COP 20.9M

-41.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.4 MX$917

$58.0 COP 202.6K

-7.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.34 MX$675

$32.56 COP 113.6K

20.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.7 MX$1,540

$99.6 COP 347.7K

-9.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.0 MX$1,339

$109 COP 378.8K

-28.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$512 MX$8,790

$482 COP 1.7M

6.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$396 MX$6,794

$379 COP 1.3M

4.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$950 MX$16.3K

$837 COP 2.9M

13.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$769 MX$13.2K

$723 COP 2.5M

6.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,973 MX$33.9K

$2,840 COP 9.9M

-30.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,269 MX$21.8K

$1,223 COP 4.3M

3.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$874 MX$15.0K

$541 COP 1.9M

61.62%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $512 in Los Cabos and $482 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Los Cabos pays 62% 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 $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 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Los Cabos pays 62% 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: $512 in Los Cabos versus $482 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Los Cabos. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,106 per month in Los Cabos versus $1,017 in Medellin – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,017 in Medellin versus $1,106 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 9% less than in Los Cabos. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.