Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Celaya Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Celaya

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,065 in Celaya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,689 in Celaya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $2,313 in Celaya.

Living in Medellin is roughly 58% more expensive than in Celaya, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Celaya is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$11.65 MX$201

-31.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$53.2 MX$916

-9.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$8.73 MX$151

13.29%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$3.54 MX$61.0

-11.58%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$1.31 MX$22.60

45.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$1.18 MX$20.41

27.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$3.41 MX$58.8

-8.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$5.76 MX$99.3

-0.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.77 MX$30.60

-18.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$3.20 MX$55.2

-22.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$1.64 MX$28.32

7.93%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$2.27 MX$39.22

30.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$9.47 MX$163

6.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$10.12 MX$175

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$15.27 MX$263

-6.35%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$2.99 MX$51.5

38.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.15 MX$19.80

40.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$1.78 MX$30.64

26.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$1.15 MX$19.81

95.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$2.07 MX$35.77

-1.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$1.73 MX$29.88

-10.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$1.18 MX$20.36

-0.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.90 MX$15.48

45.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$5.68 MX$98.0

-31.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$14.54 MX$251

-3.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$2.12 MX$36.49

-17.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$4.58 MX$79.0

-37.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.63 MX$10.80

93.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$29.67 MX$512

171.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$2.07 MX$35.68

-36.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$0.57 MX$9.81

284.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$5.93 MX$102

46.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.52 MX$26.25

-9.87%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$22.5K MX$387.2K

23.95%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$26.4K MX$455.9K

35.28%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$40.35 MX$696

339.41%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$20.06 MX$346

-30.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$20.10 MX$347

47.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$35.34 MX$609

26.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$29.65 MX$511

-42.26%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$5.38 MX$92.7

23.61%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$453 MX$7,805

79.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$13.5K MX$232.0K

-31.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$75.3 MX$1,298

18.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$55.1 MX$950

7.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$115 MX$1,981

20.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$121 MX$2,080

-15.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$263 MX$4,540

303.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$233 MX$4,014

184.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$401 MX$6,920

370.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$303 MX$5,228

238.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$879 MX$15.2K

-22.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.3

-3.19%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Celaya: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $263 in Celaya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Celaya pays 30% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $53.0 in Celaya. Groceries flip the comparison at $305 vs $299, with Celaya 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 Celaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Celaya differ by about 58% in total monthly costs ($1,681 vs $1,065 including rent). Celaya is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 30% lower in Celaya. 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $263 in Celaya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Celaya – a meal for two runs $53.0 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,681 per month in Medellin versus $1,065 in Celaya – a 58% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,065 in Celaya versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Celaya but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Celaya 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 Celaya gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.