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: $1,017 in Medellin versus $1,132 in Celaya.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,835 in Celaya.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,188 in Medellin versus $2,538 in Celaya.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 10% less than in Celaya, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Celaya 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$11.47 MX$197

-48.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$42.23 MX$725

-21.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$8.03 MX$138

-9.96%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$3.02 MX$51.8

-46.03%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$1.14 MX$19.51

-4.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.94 MX$16.08

-22.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$2.58 MX$44.21

-32.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$4.61 MX$79.1

-29.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$1.65 MX$28.36

-36.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$2.32 MX$39.78

-44.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$1.52 MX$26.06

-13.16%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$2.03 MX$34.82

11.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$9.62 MX$165

-54.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$8.84 MX$152

-33.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$10.63 MX$182

-19.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$2.79 MX$47.86

-19.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$1.61 MX$27.58

-33.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$1.79 MX$30.76

-15.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$1.91 MX$32.78

-25.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$2.08 MX$35.68

-43.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$2.21 MX$37.98

-47.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$1.31 MX$22.51

-32.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$0.95 MX$16.24

-5.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$4.04 MX$69.3

-44.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$15.08 MX$259

-26.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$1.72 MX$29.49

-33.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$3.53 MX$60.6

-32.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$0.61 MX$10.40

37.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

$26.25 MX$451

59.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$0.76 MX$13.13

85.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$1.55 MX$26.62

22.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$8.59 MX$147

-9.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$1.26 MX$21.62

-19.84%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$26.4K MX$452.3K

-33.30%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$21.8K MX$373.4K

21.80%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$46.54 MX$799

79.80%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$22.33 MX$383

-57.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$21.01 MX$361

14.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$35.54 MX$610

-28.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

$15.81 MX$271

21.06%

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$4.67 MX$80.1

-12.21%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$218 MX$3,750

42.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$3,429 MX$58.9K

74.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$57.5 MX$986

1.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$42.79 MX$734

-23.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$98.3 MX$1,686

1.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$73.1 MX$1,254

48.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$514 MX$8,820

-6.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$396 MX$6,802

-4.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$931 MX$16.0K

-10.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$762 MX$13.1K

-5.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

$869 MX$14.9K

-37.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

11.5

16.78%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Last update for Celaya: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Medellin and $514 in Celaya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Celaya pays 61% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $42.00 in Celaya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $272 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 Celaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Celaya differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($1,017 vs $1,132 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Celaya earns 61% less. 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: $482 in Medellin versus $514 in Celaya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $42.00 in Celaya. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,017 per month in Medellin versus $1,132 in Celaya – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,017 in Medellin versus $1,132 in Celaya, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Celaya. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin 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 Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Celaya. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.