Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cholula Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cholula

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $1,190 in Cholula, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $1,877 in Cholula, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $2,564 in Cholula, rent included.

Medellin costs about 38% more than Cholula, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Cholula is 14% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$11.58 MX$196

-30.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$51.8 MX$879

-6.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$9.27 MX$157

1.62%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$3.38 MX$57.4

-13.02%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$1.63 MX$27.58

14.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$1.26 MX$21.39

15.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$2.89 MX$49.04

11.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$4.92 MX$83.5

16.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.94 MX$32.84

-25.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$3.23 MX$54.9

-25.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$1.96 MX$33.27

-13.27%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$2.91 MX$49.33

-0.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$6.81 MX$116

47.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$6.07 MX$103

64.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$12.11 MX$205

17.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$2.92 MX$49.52

36.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.81 MX$30.70

-12.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$2.17 MX$36.88

-0.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$2.10 MX$35.56

9.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$1.97 MX$33.47

1.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$1.90 MX$32.21

-20.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$1.62 MX$27.54

-25.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$1.26 MX$21.42

1.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$4.95 MX$84.0

-22.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$14.85 MX$252

-5.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$1.56 MX$26.52

9.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$2.86 MX$48.59

-4.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$0.52 MX$8.82

140.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$20.81 MX$353

274.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$3.79 MX$64.3

-65.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$2.82 MX$47.78

-23.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$16.82 MX$285

-50.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.61 MX$27.34

-15.53%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$22.9K MX$389.2K

19.74%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$25.4K MX$430.9K

43.85%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$65.1 MX$1,105

159.01%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$20.48 MX$347

-33.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$25.50 MX$433

11.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$78.7 MX$1,335

-41.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$21.27 MX$361

-19.04%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$5.95 MX$101

11.76%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$292 MX$4,951

175.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$4,932 MX$83.7K

86.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$55.6 MX$943

57.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$48.53 MX$823

22.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$108 MX$1,839

28.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$104 MX$1,759

-1.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$466 MX$7,902

129.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$306 MX$5,185

113.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$640 MX$10.9K

200.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$506 MX$8,585

107.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$2,001 MX$33.9K

106.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$1,236 MX$21.0K

37.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$874 MX$14.8K

-25.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

10.96

-0.18%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Cholula: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,071 in Medellin versus $466 in Cholula. 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 33% higher in Cholula, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $52.0 in Cholula. Groceries tell a different story – $300 in Medellin vs $278 in Cholula – so Cholula wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Cholula: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 38% more than Cholula, with the gap driven mainly by Getting Around. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,462 per month in Medellin and $1,785 in Cholula. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cholula, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin and $52.0 in Cholula. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,641 in Medellin and $1,190 in Cholula. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Cholula, where all-in costs run around $1,190, than in Medellin at $1,641. In Cholula it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cholula costs $1,190 versus $1,641 in Medellin. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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