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: $1,151 in Matamoros versus $1,034 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,822 in Matamoros versus $1,577 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,493 in Matamoros versus $2,120 in Medellin.

Living in Matamoros is roughly 11% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Matamoros 14% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.55 MX$184

$5.92 COP 21.5K

78.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.52 MX$688

$32.75 COP 119.1K

20.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.76 MX$135

$7.20 COP 26.2K

7.78%

Cappuccino

$3.35 MX$58.3

$1.70 COP 6,186

97.06%

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

$1.28 MX$22.26

$1.10 COP 3,996

16.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$16.07

$0.72 COP 2,625

27.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 MX$41.12

$1.67 COP 6,067

41.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 MX$66.4

$3.10 COP 11.3K

23.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 MX$25.98

$1.06 COP 3,837

40.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 MX$45.30

$1.25 COP 4,531

108.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 MX$27.89

$1.39 COP 5,060

15.11%

Eggs

$2.32 MX$40.40

$2.26 COP 8,229

2.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.06 MX$140

$4.33 COP 15.8K

86.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 MX$137

$5.84 COP 21.2K

34.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.48 MX$182

$8.83 COP 32.1K

18.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.69

$2.24 COP 8,159

17.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 MX$24.52

$1.08 COP 3,911

30.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 MX$31.35

$1.53 COP 5,563

17.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 MX$28.93

$1.37 COP 4,987

21.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.61

$1.13 COP 4,109

70.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 MX$33.85

$1.12 COP 4,067

74.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 MX$21.77

$0.85 COP 3,080

47.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 MX$17.65

$0.91 COP 3,305

10.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.08 MX$71.1

$2.33 COP 8,477

75.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.17 MX$212

$11.13 COP 40.5K

9.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 MX$27.95

$1.19 COP 4,342

35.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 MX$47.69

$2.37 COP 8,617

15.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 MX$10.62

$0.79 COP 2,859

-22.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.05 MX$558

$41.13 COP 149.6K

-22.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 MX$44.36

$1.44 COP 5,223

77.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 MX$28.04

$1.91 COP 6,952

-15.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.48 MX$148

$8.02 COP 29.2K

5.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$22.01

$0.94 COP 3,410

34.04%

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

$21.1K MX$367.2K

$17.9K COP 65.2M

17.76%

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

$22.3K MX$387.9K

$26.8K COP 97.4M

-16.78%

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

$57.5 MX$1,000

$84.0 COP 305.4K

-31.53%

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

$21.86 MX$380

$9.60 COP 34.9K

127.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.82 MX$484

$24.16 COP 87.9K

15.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.63 MX$620

$25.88 COP 94.1K

37.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.58 MX$271

$19.04 COP 69.3K

-18.17%

Cinema Ticket

$4.76 MX$82.8

$3.92 COP 14.2K

21.43%

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

$209 MX$3,629

$306 COP 1.1M

-31.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,104 MX$54.0K

$5,919 COP 21.5M

-47.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 MX$930

$57.9 COP 210.6K

-7.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.42 MX$703

$31.82 COP 115.7K

27.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.2 MX$1,587

$99.9 COP 363.3K

-8.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.4 MX$1,381

$107 COP 389.7K

-25.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 MX$8,693

$487 COP 1.8M

2.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$400 MX$6,966

$368 COP 1.3M

8.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$929 MX$16.2K

$826 COP 3.0M

12.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$772 MX$13.4K

$716 COP 2.6M

7.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,755 MX$30.5K

$2,925 COP 10.6M

-39.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,283 MX$22.3K

$1,407 COP 5.1M

-8.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 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: April 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Matamoros and $487 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $40.00 in Matamoros vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $253 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

Matamoros vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 11% 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 $1,727 in Matamoros and $1,550 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: $500 in Matamoros versus $487 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 $40.00 in Matamoros. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,151 per month in Matamoros versus $1,034 in Medellin – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,034 in Medellin versus $1,151 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 $1,034 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 11% less than in Matamoros. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.