Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ajijic

For one person, living is cheaper in Ajijic: $1,327 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Ajijic
Learn more

Ajijic Living Index

Jump to prices

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Ajijic

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,327

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Ajijic

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 Ajijic actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,327 in Ajijic, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Ajijic $1,327

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $2,083 in Ajijic, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Ajijic $2,083

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,840 in Ajijic, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Ajijic $2,840

Medellin costs about 24% more than Ajijic, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Ajijic is 3% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$9.36 MX$176

-13.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$42.80 MX$804

9.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$6.89 MX$130

37.88%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$3.53 MX$66.4

-14.73%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$1.58 MX$29.63

13.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$1.16 MX$21.78

21.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$2.18 MX$41.03

45.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$3.29 MX$61.8

74.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$1.43 MX$26.84

5.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$2.18 MX$41.00

9.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$1.09 MX$20.58

62.39%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$2.25 MX$42.24

28.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$7.96 MX$150

28.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$8.19 MX$154

20.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$7.07 MX$133

97.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$2.17 MX$40.80

82.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$1.30 MX$24.51

19.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$1.52 MX$28.65

43.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$1.68 MX$31.51

29.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$1.51 MX$28.28

29.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$1.39 MX$26.05

14.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$1.02 MX$19.18

12.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.88 MX$16.53

40.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$4.43 MX$83.3

-10.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$8.58 MX$161

59.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$1.50 MX$28.20

10.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

$1.30 MX$24.37

73.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$0.68 MX$12.70

72.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$57.9 MX$1,088

33.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$1.24 MX$23.33

2.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

$4.23 MX$79.4

-51.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$10.75 MX$202

-20.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$1.48 MX$27.73

-8.78%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$24.6K MX$463.2K

38.23%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$23.6K MX$444.3K

46.65%

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$55.2 MX$1,038

207.11%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$14.17 MX$266

-4.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$24.59 MX$462

14.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$24.01 MX$451

82.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$5.27 MX$99.1

226.19%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$4.77 MX$89.6

44.86%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$211 MX$3,967

277.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$2,800 MX$52.6K

225.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$42.69 MX$802

98.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

$16.24 MX$305

256.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

$66.4 MX$1,249

103.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$69.5 MX$1,307

40.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$844 MX$15.9K

43.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$644 MX$12.1K

-0.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$1,509 MX$28.4K

34.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$1,248 MX$23.5K

-18.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$3,324 MX$62.5K

25.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$1,782 MX$33.5K

7.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$548 MX$10.3K

20.00%

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 25, 2026

Last update for Ajijic: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Ajijic

$644 48.6% 0.4% $2.7

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Ajijic

$218 16.4% 26.6% $79

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Ajijic

$94 7.1% 55.5% $117

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Ajijic

$166 12.5% 1.9% $3.2

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Ajijic

$88 6.6% 48.1% $81

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Ajijic

$83 6.3% 11.3% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Ajijic

$34 2.5% 41.7% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $844 in Ajijic. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 20% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $43 in Ajijic. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $218 – making Ajijic the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇲🇽 Ajijic

🕒 Local time

03:50 3:50 AM

02:50 2:50 AM

1 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

11,439

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.97 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Ajijic 3,370 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Ajijic

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 Ajijic: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 24%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,990 in Ajijic. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ajijic, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $844 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $43 in Ajijic. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $1,327 in Ajijic. That makes Ajijic about 19% cheaper.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ajijic, where all-in costs run around $1,327, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Ajijic it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ajijic – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Ajijic. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.