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: $1,031 in Medellin versus $1,016 in Aguascalientes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $1,537 in Aguascalientes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $2,058 in Aguascalientes.

Living in Medellin is roughly 1% more expensive than in Aguascalientes, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.0K

$8.18 MX$143

-24.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.0K

$34.16 MX$597

-4.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$6.90 MX$121

6.38%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,592

$3.36 MX$58.7

-48.81%

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

$1.05 COP 3,416

$1.11 MX$19.49

-5.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,511

$0.82 MX$14.32

-6.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,480

$1.83 MX$31.99

-7.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$3.19 MX$55.7

-0.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,418

$1.35 MX$23.55

-22.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,230

$2.15 MX$37.55

-39.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,538

$1.52 MX$26.60

-7.89%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,037

$1.95 MX$34.10

10.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$8.23 MX$144

-46.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$7.43 MX$130

-20.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$9.65 MX$169

-10.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,415

$2.26 MX$39.60

0.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,599

$0.92 MX$16.08

20.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,976

$0.89 MX$15.52

71.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,405

$1.45 MX$25.40

-6.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,669

$1.37 MX$24.03

-17.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,687

$0.94 MX$16.52

20.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,749

$0.93 MX$16.19

-8.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,971

$0.82 MX$14.27

10.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,619

$4.22 MX$73.7

-44.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.2K

$9.37 MX$164

32.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,904

$1.52 MX$26.57

-21.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,094

$2.70 MX$47.28

-7.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,724

$0.55 MX$9.67

52.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 131.9K

$22.62 MX$396

79.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,617

$1.03 MX$17.99

37.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,227

$0.94 MX$16.45

104.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$3.25 MX$56.9

135.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,219

$1.24 MX$21.74

-20.16%

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

$18.0K COP 58.6M

$21.6K MX$377.5K

-16.50%

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

$26.6K COP 86.6M

$23.4K MX$409.7K

13.63%

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

$80.8 COP 262.7K

$44.95 MX$786

79.78%

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

$9.95 COP 32.3K

$20.27 MX$354

-50.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.6K

$23.48 MX$411

2.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.5K

$25.07 MX$438

0.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$21.91 MX$383

-12.60%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$4.12 MX$72.1

-3.40%

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

$305 COP 992.2K

$184 MX$3,219

65.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$2,607 MX$45.6K

132.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.0K

$53.1 MX$928

9.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.7K

$35.73 MX$625

-9.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.5K

$84.3 MX$1,473

19.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.3K

$54.9 MX$959

96.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.5M

$390 MX$6,824

22.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$378 MX$6,605

-0.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$586 MX$10.3K

44.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$585 MX$10.2K

24.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$1,199 MX$21.0K

168.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$1,227 MX$21.5K

11.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

$907 MX$15.9K

-32.01%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Aguascalientes: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $390 in Aguascalientes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Aguascalientes pays 47% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $34.00 in Aguascalientes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $219 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

Aguascalientes is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 47% lower in Aguascalientes. 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: $477 in Medellin versus $390 in Aguascalientes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Aguascalientes runs roughly 79% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $305 in Medellin versus $184 in Aguascalientes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,016 in Aguascalientes versus $1,031 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Aguascalientes but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Aguascalientes the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Aguascalientes is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, 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 Aguascalientes gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.