Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Azcapotzalco Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Azcapotzalco

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,687 in Medellin versus $1,254 in Azcapotzalco.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,535 in Medellin versus $1,997 in Azcapotzalco.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,383 in Medellin versus $2,741 in Azcapotzalco.

Living in Medellin is roughly 35% more expensive than in Azcapotzalco, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Azcapotzalco is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.89 COP 24.2K

$11.87 MX$201

-33.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.53 COP 136.5K

$46.25 MX$784

-3.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.29 COP 28.5K

$8.76 MX$149

6.05%

Cappuccino

$2.90 COP 8,874

$3.82 MX$64.8

-24.08%

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

$1.81 COP 5,541

$1.48 MX$25.09

22.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 COP 4,741

$1.09 MX$18.52

42.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 COP 9,962

$2.90 MX$49.07

12.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 COP 18.0K

$4.59 MX$77.8

28.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 COP 4,230

$1.68 MX$28.39

-17.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 COP 7,517

$2.86 MX$48.41

-14.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,617

$1.79 MX$30.31

-15.64%

Eggs

$2.78 COP 8,516

$2.51 MX$42.48

10.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 COP 27.7K

$8.86 MX$150

2.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.65 COP 32.6K

$8.84 MX$150

20.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.63 COP 44.8K

$12.18 MX$206

20.11%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.2K

$2.87 MX$48.56

38.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,219

$1.68 MX$28.43

-17.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,056

$2.08 MX$35.32

10.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.02 COP 6,185

$1.98 MX$33.51

2.02%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 COP 6,390

$2.14 MX$36.25

-2.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 COP 4,996

$1.93 MX$32.66

-15.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 COP 3,313

$1.46 MX$24.68

-26.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,843

$1.16 MX$19.60

7.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.03 COP 12.4K

$4.71 MX$79.9

-14.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 COP 41.3K

$11.11 MX$188

21.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 4,904

$1.94 MX$32.81

-17.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 COP 9,189

$3.26 MX$55.3

-7.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,611

$0.70 MX$11.93

68.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.9 COP 244.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 COP 4,920

$2.60 MX$44.13

-38.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,533

$2.06 MX$34.90

3.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 COP 26.1K

$10.05 MX$170

-15.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,142

$1.57 MX$26.59

-14.01%

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

$28.3K COP 86.8M

$23.0K MX$390.5K

22.92%

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

$35.7K COP 109.4M

$25.7K MX$435.6K

38.85%

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

$151 COP 463.8K

$62.4 MX$1,057

142.60%

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

$13.10 COP 40.1K

$23.89 MX$405

-45.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.30 COP 99.0K

$32.19 MX$546

0.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.33 COP 141.9K

$38.40 MX$651

20.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.26 COP 52.9K

$20.45 MX$347

-15.60%

Cinema Ticket

$6.43 COP 19.7K

$5.72 MX$97.0

12.41%

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

$835 COP 2.6M

$258 MX$4,374

223.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,887 COP 27.2M

$4,836 MX$82.0K

83.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 COP 273.7K

$59.0 MX$1,001

51.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 COP 169.5K

$44.37 MX$752

24.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 418.5K

$107 MX$1,820

27.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 335.1K

$93.0 MX$1,577

17.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$952 COP 2.9M

$647 MX$11.0K

47.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$668 COP 2.0M

$429 MX$7,267

55.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 COP 6.2M

$1,131 MX$19.2K

78.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 COP 3.5M

$829 MX$14.1K

38.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,696 COP 11.3M

$1,931 MX$32.7K

91.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,586 COP 4.9M

$1,256 MX$21.3K

26.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$625 COP 1.9M

$1,851 MX$31.4K

-66.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.43

11.3

-7.70%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 17, 2026

Last update for Azcapotzalco: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $952 in Medellin and $647 in Azcapotzalco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Azcapotzalco pays 196% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Medellin vs $46.00 in Azcapotzalco. Groceries flip the comparison at $297 vs $281, with Azcapotzalco cheaper for home cooking.

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 Azcapotzalco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Azcapotzalco differ by about 35% in total monthly costs ($1,687 vs $1,254 including rent). Azcapotzalco is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 196% lower in Azcapotzalco. 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: $952 in Medellin versus $647 in Azcapotzalco. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,687 per month in Medellin versus $1,254 in Azcapotzalco – a 35% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,254 in Azcapotzalco versus $1,687 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Azcapotzalco but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Azcapotzalco the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Azcapotzalco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.