Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Aguascalientes

For one person, living is cheaper in Aguascalientes: $1,113 a month against $1,589 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
53

Cost of Living Index in Aguascalientes
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Aguascalientes Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,589

/mo nomad

Aguascalientes

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,113

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Aguascalientes

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Aguascalientes actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,589 in Medellin versus $1,113 in Aguascalientes.

Medellin $1,589
Aguascalientes $1,113

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,364 in Medellin versus $1,744 in Aguascalientes.

Medellin $2,364
Aguascalientes $1,744

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,139 in Medellin versus $2,375 in Aguascalientes.

Medellin $3,139
Aguascalientes $2,375

Living in Medellin is roughly 43% more expensive than in Aguascalientes, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Aguascalientes is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.01 COP 25.5K

$12.50 MX$229

-35.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 COP 148.3K

$44.72 MX$821

4.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 COP 30.1K

$7.00 MX$129

34.71%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,277

$3.86 MX$70.9

-24.61%

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

$1.75 COP 5,585

$1.64 MX$30.09

6.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 COP 4,218

$1.21 MX$22.21

9.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 COP 9,969

$2.18 MX$40.03

43.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 COP 17.7K

$3.26 MX$59.8

70.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 COP 4,495

$1.47 MX$26.98

-4.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 COP 7,777

$2.22 MX$40.72

9.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,191

$1.56 MX$28.69

4.49%

Eggs

$2.82 COP 8,990

$2.45 MX$45.02

15.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 COP 30.9K

$8.03 MX$147

20.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 COP 29.7K

$8.61 MX$158

8.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.46 COP 42.9K

$11.47 MX$211

17.35%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 COP 12.8K

$2.32 MX$42.51

72.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,719

$1.33 MX$24.38

11.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 COP 6,768

$1.54 MX$28.29

37.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,178

$1.76 MX$32.37

27.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 COP 6,092

$1.62 MX$29.66

17.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 COP 5,160

$1.36 MX$25.03

19.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,658

$0.99 MX$18.21

16.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 COP 4,021

$0.83 MX$15.18

51.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 COP 12.2K

$4.38 MX$80.4

-12.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.11 COP 41.8K

$8.88 MX$163

47.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 5,083

$1.81 MX$33.32

-11.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,188

$3.42 MX$62.8

-33.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,731

$0.59 MX$10.78

98.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.0 COP 239.0K

$24.33 MX$447

208.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,056

$1.22 MX$22.36

4.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,531

$1.16 MX$21.37

76.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.20 COP 26.1K

$10.96 MX$201

-25.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 COP 4,046

$1.54 MX$28.21

-17.53%

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

$26.8K COP 85.3M

$21.7K MX$397.6K

23.66%

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

$34.4K COP 109.6M

$23.9K MX$438.9K

43.92%

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

$162 COP 516.9K

$55.6 MX$1,021

191.80%

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

$13.12 COP 41.8K

$24.71 MX$454

-46.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.09 COP 89.5K

$24.50 MX$450

14.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.33 COP 141.2K

$31.42 MX$577

41.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 COP 52.0K

$22.39 MX$411

-27.07%

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 COP 19.4K

$5.16 MX$94.7

18.02%

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

$764 COP 2.4M

$220 MX$4,039

247.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,904 COP 28.4M

$2,916 MX$53.5K

205.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.0 COP 270.8K

$55.6 MX$1,021

52.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 COP 183.2K

$37.98 MX$697

51.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 COP 419.8K

$104 MX$1,916

26.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 COP 305.1K

$69.9 MX$1,284

36.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$516 MX$9,475

99.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 COP 1.9M

$361 MX$6,620

67.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,802 COP 5.7M

$810 MX$14.9K

122.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$993 COP 3.2M

$642 MX$11.8K

54.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,921 COP 12.5M

$1,183 MX$21.7K

231.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,639 COP 5.2M

$1,176 MX$21.6K

39.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 COP 2.0M

$884 MX$16.2K

-29.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.2

-2.32%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Last update for Aguascalientes: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$604 38.3%

Aguascalientes

$361 32.7% 40.3% $244

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$288 18.3%

Aguascalientes

$244 22.2% 15.4% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$203 12.9%

Aguascalientes

$105 9.5% 48.5% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Aguascalientes

$121 10.9% 27.6% $46

Eating Out

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Aguascalientes

$196 17.8% 17.9% $30

Getting Around

Medellin

$91 5.8%

Aguascalientes

$34 3.1% 63% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.6%

Aguascalientes

$42 3.8% 26.1% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,028 in Medellin and $516 in Aguascalientes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Aguascalientes pays 41% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Medellin vs $45.00 in Aguascalientes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $244 per month, with Aguascalientes cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇲🇽 Aguascalientes

🕒 Local time

21:26 9:26 PM

20:26 8:26 PM

1 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

863,893

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,187 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,574 COP (10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.59 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Aguascalientes 3,350 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Aguascalientes

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 groceries, clothing, and transport. The 43% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 41% 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: $1,028 in Medellin versus $516 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 208% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $764 in Medellin versus $220 in Aguascalientes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,113 in Aguascalientes versus $1,589 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 43% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.