Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ciudad Juarez Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ciudad Juarez

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,681 per month in Medellin vs $1,237 in Ciudad Juarez, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,445 per month in Medellin vs $1,996 in Ciudad Juarez, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,210 per month in Medellin vs $2,756 in Ciudad Juarez, rent included.

Medellin costs about 36% more than Ciudad Juarez, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Medellin sits 23% above the global median, while Ciudad Juarez is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 24.9K

$9.86 MX$169

-18.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 148.7K

$35.46 MX$608

35.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.7K

$10.86 MX$186

-8.93%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,724

$3.03 MX$51.9

3.30%

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

$1.91 COP 5,928

$1.17 MX$20.05

63.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,692

$0.76 MX$12.99

98.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,705

$2.25 MX$38.58

38.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$4.55 MX$78.1

26.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,489

$1.82 MX$31.16

-20.88%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,725

$2.36 MX$40.45

5.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,510

$1.74 MX$29.79

1.72%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,195

$2.45 MX$42.04

20.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.3K

$13.47 MX$231

-25.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.4K

$7.03 MX$120

43.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.4K

$12.66 MX$217

12.95%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.8K

$2.83 MX$48.60

46.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 4,997

$2.20 MX$37.76

-26.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 6,976

$1.90 MX$32.49

18.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 6,997

$2.15 MX$36.81

4.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,347

$1.73 MX$29.71

17.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,769

$2.41 MX$41.25

-36.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,635

$1.61 MX$27.59

-27.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,059

$1.19 MX$20.33

10.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.1K

$4.92 MX$84.4

-20.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.5K

$11.84 MX$203

18.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,415

$1.35 MX$23.18

28.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,917

$3.43 MX$58.7

-16.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,776

$0.73 MX$12.59

67.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 250.0K

$28.94 MX$496

178.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,066

$4.35 MX$74.5

-69.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,796

$1.20 MX$20.52

82.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.1K

$17.62 MX$302

-50.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,241

$1.38 MX$23.58

-0.72%

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

$27.8K COP 86.5M

$23.0K MX$394.4K

20.99%

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

$35.8K COP 111.1M

$26.4K MX$453.1K

35.35%

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

$177 COP 550.8K

$91.1 MX$1,562

94.56%

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

$13.88 COP 43.1K

$23.97 MX$411

-42.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.4K

$30.67 MX$526

-3.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 139.4K

$35.10 MX$602

27.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.2K

$15.82 MX$271

8.22%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.6K

$4.58 MX$78.4

45.20%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$229 MX$3,931

254.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.5M

$3,027 MX$51.9K

203.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 278.0K

$63.2 MX$1,084

41.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 183.2K

$35.10 MX$602

68.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 429.4K

$78.7 MX$1,350

75.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 317.3K

$87.6 MX$1,502

16.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$639 MX$11.0K

66.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$407 MX$6,984

62.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$1,066 MX$18.3K

77.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$917 MX$15.7K

12.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.0M

$1,029 MX$17.6K

306.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$731 MX$12.5K

129.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$625 MX$10.7K

8.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.32

-3.36%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Ciudad Juarez: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,062 in Medellin versus $639 in Ciudad Juarez. 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 8% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $35.00 in Ciudad Juarez. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $305 vs $286 – making Ciudad Juarez the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Juarez: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,681 in Medellin, $1,237 in Ciudad Juarez – roughly 36% apart. Medellin costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,521 per month in Medellin and $1,856 in Ciudad Juarez. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ciudad Juarez, 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 $35.00 in Ciudad Juarez. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,681 in Medellin and $1,237 in Ciudad Juarez. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Ciudad Juarez, where all-in costs run around $1,237, than in Medellin at $1,681. In Ciudad Juarez it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,237 in Ciudad Juarez to $1,681 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Ciudad Juarez. 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.