Cost of Living Comparison Between Matamoros and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Matamoros and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,145 in Matamoros versus $1,003 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,833 in Matamoros versus $1,573 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,521 in Matamoros versus $2,143 in Medellin.

Living in Matamoros is roughly 14% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Matamoros 14% lower, Medellin 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.68 MX$186

$5.91 COP 18.9K

80.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.04 MX$681

$32.96 COP 105.2K

18.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.70 MX$134

$7.43 COP 23.7K

3.63%

Cappuccino

$3.37 MX$58.8

$1.65 COP 5,276

104.24%

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

$1.30 MX$22.61

$1.10 COP 3,514

18.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 MX$15.85

$0.78 COP 2,491

16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.32 MX$40.44

$1.72 COP 5,484

34.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 MX$69.5

$3.18 COP 10.1K

25.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 MX$24.77

$1.10 COP 3,521

29.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.50 MX$43.58

$1.26 COP 4,015

98.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.39

$1.38 COP 4,407

18.12%

Eggs

$2.37 MX$41.38

$2.18 COP 6,950

8.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.92 MX$138

$4.49 COP 14.3K

76.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$139

$5.79 COP 18.5K

37.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.65 MX$186

$8.97 COP 28.6K

18.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.58 MX$44.95

$2.32 COP 7,405

11.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.48

$1.06 COP 3,397

37.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 MX$30.02

$1.52 COP 4,838

13.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 MX$27.87

$1.36 COP 4,327

17.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 MX$33.38

$1.13 COP 3,599

69.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.69

$1.17 COP 3,738

70.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 MX$20.88

$0.90 COP 2,876

33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 MX$17.62

$0.90 COP 2,861

12.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$74.8

$2.23 COP 7,128

92.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.50 MX$183

$12.12 COP 38.7K

-13.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$27.75

$1.19 COP 3,793

33.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 MX$47.61

$2.48 COP 7,920

10.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 MX$11.39

$0.85 COP 2,723

-23.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.19 MX$561

$41.62 COP 132.8K

-22.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 MX$46.03

$1.42 COP 4,518

85.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 MX$27.90

$1.95 COP 6,223

-17.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.35 MX$146

$7.89 COP 25.2K

5.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 MX$23.17

$0.99 COP 3,160

34.34%

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

$21.1K MX$368.7K

$17.6K COP 56.2M

20.11%

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

$22.3K MX$388.8K

$26.8K COP 85.5M

-16.81%

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

$56.7 MX$989

$83.0 COP 264.9K

-31.71%

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

$22.32 MX$389

$9.70 COP 30.9K

130.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.63 MX$482

$23.52 COP 75.0K

17.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.54 MX$620

$25.26 COP 80.6K

40.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.00 MX$279

$19.10 COP 60.9K

-16.23%

Cinema Ticket

$4.65 MX$81.1

$3.95 COP 12.6K

17.72%

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

$209 MX$3,639

$316 COP 1.0M

-33.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,121 MX$54.4K

$5,975 COP 19.1M

-47.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 MX$940

$60.0 COP 191.4K

-10.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.42 MX$705

$31.82 COP 101.5K

27.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.7 MX$1,582

$102 COP 324.4K

-10.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.3 MX$1,365

$107 COP 342.8K

-27.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$501 MX$8,729

$475 COP 1.5M

5.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$401 MX$6,996

$374 COP 1.2M

7.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$936 MX$16.3K

$849 COP 2.7M

10.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$767 MX$13.4K

$719 COP 2.3M

6.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,906 MX$33.2K

$3,265 COP 10.4M

-41.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,270 MX$22.2K

$1,441 COP 4.6M

-11.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 COP 2.0M

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 Matamoros: July 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $501 in Matamoros and $475 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $39.00 in Matamoros vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $248 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

Matamoros vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Matamoros. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,717 in Matamoros and $1,504 in Medellin to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $501 in Matamoros versus $475 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $39.00 in Matamoros. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,145 per month in Matamoros versus $1,003 in Medellin – a 14% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,003 in Medellin versus $1,145 in Matamoros, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Matamoros. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,003 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Matamoros. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.