Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Celaya

For one person, living is cheaper in Celaya: $903 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Celaya
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Celaya Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Celaya

🇲🇽 Mexico

$903

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Celaya

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $903 in Celaya.

Medellin $1,639
Celaya $903

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $1,423 in Celaya.

Medellin $2,413
Celaya $1,423

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $1,944 in Celaya.

Medellin $3,186
Celaya $1,944

Living in Medellin is roughly 81% more expensive than in Celaya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Celaya is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$12.40 MX$233

-34.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$43.66 MX$820

7.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$6.98 MX$131

36.10%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$3.18 MX$59.7

-5.35%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$1.17 MX$22.02

53.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$1.09 MX$20.52

29.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$2.11 MX$39.70

50.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$3.14 MX$59.0

83.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$1.42 MX$26.60

6.34%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$2.13 MX$40.11

11.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$1.50 MX$28.17

18.00%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$2.16 MX$40.66

33.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$7.94 MX$149

28.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$8.13 MX$153

21.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$11.44 MX$215

22.29%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$2.17 MX$40.82

82.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$1.07 MX$20.05

44.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$1.45 MX$27.34

50.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$1.07 MX$20.08

103.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$1.57 MX$29.58

24.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$1.37 MX$25.69

16.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$1.01 MX$19.03

13.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.77 MX$14.56

61.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$4.26 MX$80.0

-7.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$8.56 MX$161

59.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$1.77 MX$33.35

-6.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

$3.35 MX$63.1

-32.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$0.62 MX$11.61

88.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$27.20 MX$511

184.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$1.23 MX$23.06

3.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

$1.07 MX$20.20

91.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$10.98 MX$206

-22.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$1.45 MX$27.29

-6.90%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$23.9K MX$449.7K

42.36%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$23.6K MX$442.6K

47.22%

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$35.91 MX$675

372.43%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$18.80 MX$353

-27.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$18.77 MX$353

49.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$31.68 MX$595

37.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$27.10 MX$509

-36.57%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$4.88 MX$91.7

41.60%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$213 MX$3,999

274.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$2,823 MX$53.1K

222.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$53.2 MX$1,001

59.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

$38.46 MX$723

50.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

$101 MX$1,896

33.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$70.5 MX$1,326

38.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$247 MX$4,635

389.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$219 MX$4,109

193.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$376 MX$7,064

439.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$278 MX$5,226

263.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$806 MX$15.1K

-18.47%

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 Celaya: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Celaya

$219 24.2% 65.9% $423

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Celaya

$231 25.6% 22.3% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Celaya

$73 8.1% 65.2% $138

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Celaya

$184 20.4% 8.6% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Celaya

$118 13.1% 29.9% $51

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Celaya

$36 4% 61.2% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Celaya

$41 4.6% 28% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $247 in Celaya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Celaya pays 23% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $44 in Celaya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $231 per month, with Celaya cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇲🇽 Celaya

🕒 Local time

01:09 1:09 AM

00:09 12:09 AM

1 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

378,143

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 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 = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.98 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Celaya 3,150 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Celaya

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 Celaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $903 in Celaya, so Celaya is about 45% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 18% lower in Medellin. 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: $1,208 in Medellin versus $247 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 $44 versus $47 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,639 per month in Medellin versus $903 in Celaya – Celaya is about 45% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $903 in Celaya versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $1,200 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 45% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.