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: $1,159 in Matamoros versus $1,017 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,795 in Matamoros versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,432 in Matamoros versus $2,188 in Medellin.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Matamoros 14% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.40 MX$179

$5.95 COP 20.8K

74.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.51 MX$678

$33.33 COP 116.3K

18.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.02 MX$138

$7.23 COP 25.2K

10.93%

Cappuccino

$3.27 MX$56.2

$1.63 COP 5,687

100.61%

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

$1.25 MX$21.38

$1.09 COP 3,821

14.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.96 MX$16.50

$0.73 COP 2,548

31.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 MX$41.04

$1.74 COP 6,065

37.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 MX$68.0

$3.23 COP 11.3K

22.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$24.73

$1.05 COP 3,662

37.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.50 MX$42.90

$1.29 COP 4,515

93.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 MX$27.76

$1.32 COP 4,617

22.73%

Eggs

$2.29 MX$39.27

$2.27 COP 7,927

0.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.08 MX$139

$4.35 COP 15.2K

85.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 MX$133

$5.88 COP 20.5K

32.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.46 MX$180

$8.61 COP 30.0K

21.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.59 MX$44.42

$2.25 COP 7,844

15.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 MX$23.98

$1.07 COP 3,733

30.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 MX$30.29

$1.52 COP 5,322

15.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 MX$28.46

$1.42 COP 4,964

16.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.64

$1.17 COP 4,084

62.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.99 MX$34.09

$1.17 COP 4,077

70.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 MX$21.38

$0.89 COP 3,096

40.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 MX$17.52

$0.90 COP 3,146

13.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.3

$2.25 COP 7,837

84.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.59 MX$165

$11.04 COP 38.5K

-13.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 MX$27.47

$1.14 COP 3,977

40.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 MX$46.78

$2.38 COP 8,301

14.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 MX$11.10

$0.84 COP 2,916

-22.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.70 MX$544

$41.95 COP 146.4K

-24.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.60 MX$44.69

$1.41 COP 4,912

84.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 MX$27.14

$1.90 COP 6,634

-16.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.33 MX$143

$7.75 COP 27.0K

7.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.62

$1.01 COP 3,509

30.69%

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

$20.7K MX$356.0K

$17.6K COP 61.4M

17.99%

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

$22.7K MX$390.2K

$26.5K COP 92.5M

-14.20%

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

$56.4 MX$969

$83.7 COP 292.1K

-32.55%

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

$21.96 MX$377

$9.45 COP 33.0K

132.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.03 MX$481

$24.11 COP 84.1K

16.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.40 MX$608

$25.31 COP 88.3K

39.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.11 MX$276

$19.14 COP 66.8K

-15.83%

Cinema Ticket

$4.59 MX$78.8

$4.10 COP 14.3K

11.95%

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

$215 MX$3,694

$312 COP 1.1M

-31.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,101 MX$53.2K

$5,993 COP 20.9M

-48.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 MX$898

$58.0 COP 202.6K

-9.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.14 MX$689

$32.56 COP 113.6K

23.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.6 MX$1,538

$99.6 COP 347.7K

-10.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.3 MX$1,379

$109 COP 378.8K

-26.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$507 MX$8,706

$482 COP 1.7M

5.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$391 MX$6,713

$379 COP 1.3M

3.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$949 MX$16.3K

$837 COP 2.9M

13.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$764 MX$13.1K

$723 COP 2.5M

5.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,973 MX$33.9K

$2,840 COP 9.9M

-30.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,184 MX$20.3K

$1,223 COP 4.3M

-3.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $507 in Matamoros and $482 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 $246 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 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 $1,738 in Matamoros and $1,525 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: $507 in Matamoros versus $482 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 $1,159 per month in Matamoros versus $1,017 in Medellin – a 14% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,017 in Medellin versus $1,159 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 $1,017 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.