Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Aguascalientes Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Aguascalientes

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,025 in Aguascalientes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,543 in Aguascalientes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $2,061 in Aguascalientes.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 1% less than in Aguascalientes, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Aguascalientes 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$8.12 MX$141

-26.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.2K

$34.46 MX$597

-4.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$7.07 MX$123

0.28%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,105

$3.20 MX$55.5

-46.56%

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

$1.10 COP 3,918

$1.08 MX$18.76

1.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,776

$0.80 MX$13.87

-2.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,987

$1.80 MX$31.25

-6.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 10.9K

$3.15 MX$54.6

-2.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,899

$1.35 MX$23.33

-19.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,500

$2.25 MX$38.94

-44.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,914

$1.58 MX$27.33

-12.66%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,813

$1.96 MX$33.91

11.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$7.97 MX$138

-44.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$7.16 MX$124

-21.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.7K

$9.66 MX$167

-7.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,334

$2.26 MX$39.09

3.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,771

$0.97 MX$16.75

9.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,365

$0.83 MX$14.39

80.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,915

$1.42 MX$24.58

-2.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,104

$1.40 MX$24.32

-17.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,148

$0.97 MX$16.76

19.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,176

$0.90 MX$15.53

-1.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,992

$0.83 MX$14.41

1.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,131

$4.14 MX$71.7

-44.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 37.9K

$8.98 MX$156

18.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,276

$1.50 MX$26.02

-20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,809

$2.66 MX$46.17

-7.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,051

$0.55 MX$9.61

56.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.6K

$22.01 MX$381

88.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,255

$1.07 MX$18.61

37.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 6,997

$0.93 MX$16.18

110.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$3.24 MX$56.1

138.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,403

$1.24 MX$21.55

-23.39%

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

$18.1K COP 64.6M

$22.2K MX$384.2K

-18.23%

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

$26.5K COP 94.4M

$23.4K MX$406.0K

13.05%

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

$82.3 COP 293.2K

$44.40 MX$769

85.25%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$20.16 MX$349

-52.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.4K

$23.39 MX$405

3.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.3K

$25.83 MX$448

0.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.7K

$21.83 MX$378

-12.96%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$4.15 MX$71.9

-5.30%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$178 MX$3,081

74.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$2,589 MX$44.9K

130.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.1K

$51.1 MX$885

14.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.3K

$34.96 MX$606

-7.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 365.7K

$85.2 MX$1,477

20.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 386.5K

$53.7 MX$931

101.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$385 MX$6,675

23.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$384 MX$6,657

-1.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$571 MX$9,887

46.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$595 MX$10.3K

21.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

$1,228 MX$21.3K

127.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$1,241 MX$21.5K

-2.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$920 MX$15.9K

-44.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

11.24

19.48%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Aguascalientes: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $385 in Aguascalientes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Aguascalientes pays 80% 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: $33.00 in Medellin vs $34.00 in Aguascalientes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $217 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

Medellin vs Aguascalientes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Aguascalientes earns 80% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $476 in Medellin versus $385 in Aguascalientes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 88% less than in Aguascalientes. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $178 in Aguascalientes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,025 in Aguascalientes, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Aguascalientes. 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 Aguascalientes, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Aguascalientes are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Aguascalientes. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.