Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ciudad del Carmen Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ciudad del Carmen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,126 in Ciudad del Carmen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,784 in Ciudad del Carmen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $2,442 in Ciudad del Carmen.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 10% less than in Ciudad del Carmen, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Ciudad del Carmen 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.5K

$10.67 MX$186

-43.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 118.1K

$38.59 MX$674

-14.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.5K

$7.97 MX$139

-11.04%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,154

$3.27 MX$57.1

-47.71%

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

$1.10 COP 3,949

$1.28 MX$22.40

-14.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,798

$0.95 MX$16.64

-17.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 6,035

$2.44 MX$42.60

-31.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$3.84 MX$67.1

-20.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,930

$1.47 MX$25.70

-25.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,536

$2.52 MX$43.98

-50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,953

$1.61 MX$28.09

-14.29%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,876

$2.29 MX$39.95

-4.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.8K

$8.17 MX$143

-46.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.2K

$7.84 MX$137

-28.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 32.0K

$10.38 MX$181

-14.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,401

$2.63 MX$45.85

-11.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,801

$1.43 MX$25.00

-25.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,408

$1.76 MX$30.78

-14.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,955

$1.61 MX$28.08

-14.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,137

$1.92 MX$33.55

-40.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,181

$2.01 MX$35.16

-42.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,202

$1.25 MX$21.79

-28.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 3,016

$1.03 MX$17.95

-18.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,196

$4.29 MX$74.9

-46.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.2K

$9.39 MX$164

13.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,311

$1.59 MX$27.79

-24.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,880

$2.72 MX$47.47

-9.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,075

$0.66 MX$11.48

30.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 148.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,297

$2.61 MX$45.55

-43.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,053

$1.56 MX$27.21

25.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.8K

$8.28 MX$145

-6.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,430

$1.27 MX$22.20

-25.20%

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

$18.1K COP 65.2M

$21.5K MX$375.3K

-15.63%

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

$26.5K COP 95.2M

$22.2K MX$387.6K

19.35%

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

$82.3 COP 295.6K

$55.9 MX$977

47.09%

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

$9.50 COP 34.1K

$22.36 MX$390

-57.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 87.1K

$27.76 MX$485

-12.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 93.0K

$36.16 MX$631

-28.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 68.3K

$15.99 MX$279

18.82%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.1K

$4.72 MX$82.5

-16.74%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$208 MX$3,631

48.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.4M

$3,647 MX$63.7K

63.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 210.8K

$52.4 MX$915

11.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 116.2K

$38.89 MX$679

-16.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 368.7K

$88.7 MX$1,549

15.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 389.6K

$80.8 MX$1,411

34.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$501 MX$8,750

-4.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$401 MX$7,007

-5.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$950 MX$16.6K

-11.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$755 MX$13.2K

-4.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

$2,055 MX$35.9K

35.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.4M

$1,172 MX$20.5K

3.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

11.48

16.99%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Ciudad del Carmen: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $501 in Ciudad del Carmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $39.00 in Ciudad del Carmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $246 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 Ciudad del Carmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Ciudad del Carmen differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($1,013 vs $1,126 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,519 in Medellin and $1,690 in Ciudad del Carmen to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $476 in Medellin versus $501 in Ciudad del Carmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Ciudad del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,013 per month in Medellin versus $1,126 in Ciudad del Carmen – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,126 in Ciudad del Carmen, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Ciudad del Carmen. 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 Ciudad del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.