Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ciudad Juarez

For one person, living is cheaper in Ciudad Juarez: $1,140 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 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
54

Cost of Living Index in Ciudad Juarez
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Ciudad Juarez Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Ciudad Juarez

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,140

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Ciudad Juarez

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,140 in Ciudad Juarez, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Ciudad Juarez $1,140

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,839 in Ciudad Juarez, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Ciudad Juarez $1,839

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,538 in Ciudad Juarez, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Ciudad Juarez $2,538

Medellin costs about 44% more than Ciudad Juarez, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Ciudad Juarez is 16% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$9.24 MX$174

-12.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$32.44 MX$610

45.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$10.16 MX$191

-6.50%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$2.82 MX$52.9

6.74%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$1.07 MX$20.07

68.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$0.70 MX$13.08

101.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$2.03 MX$38.21

56.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$4.19 MX$78.7

37.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$1.74 MX$32.64

-13.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$2.31 MX$43.35

3.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$1.58 MX$29.68

12.03%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$2.26 MX$42.56

27.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$12.64 MX$237

-19.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$6.68 MX$125

47.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$11.92 MX$224

17.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$2.63 MX$49.35

50.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$2.07 MX$38.84

-25.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$1.79 MX$33.62

21.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$2.06 MX$38.69

5.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$1.63 MX$30.67

20.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$2.19 MX$41.08

-27.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$1.56 MX$29.27

-26.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$1.06 MX$19.97

16.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$4.50 MX$84.7

-12.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$10.59 MX$199

29.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$1.24 MX$23.29

33.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

$3.22 MX$60.5

-29.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$0.63 MX$11.79

85.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$27.40 MX$515

182.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$4.14 MX$77.7

-69.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

$1.11 MX$20.83

84.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$16.00 MX$301

-46.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$1.33 MX$25.01

1.50%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$20.8K MX$391.8K

63.42%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$24.2K MX$454.9K

43.22%

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$82.7 MX$1,554

105.21%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$22.53 MX$423

-39.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$28.53 MX$536

-1.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$32.02 MX$602

36.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$14.54 MX$273

18.23%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$4.35 MX$81.8

58.85%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$218 MX$4,096

265.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$2,777 MX$52.2K

228.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$58.1 MX$1,092

45.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

$32.58 MX$612

77.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

$72.9 MX$1,369

85.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$81.1 MX$1,524

20.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$607 MX$11.4K

98.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$384 MX$7,218

67.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$1,010 MX$19.0K

100.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$851 MX$16.0K

18.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$955 MX$17.9K

336.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$686 MX$12.9K

178.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$567 MX$10.7K

15.96%

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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ciudad Juarez: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Ciudad Juarez

$384 33.7% 40.1% $257

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Ciudad Juarez

$268 23.5% 9.8% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Ciudad Juarez

$134 11.7% 36.7% $78

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Ciudad Juarez

$164 14.4% 3.4% $5.8

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Ciudad Juarez

$110 9.7% 34.8% $59

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Ciudad Juarez

$40 3.5% 57.7% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Ciudad Juarez

$41 3.6% 29.2% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $607 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 16% 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 $47 in Medellin versus $32 in Ciudad Juarez. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $268 – making Ciudad Juarez the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇲🇽 Ciudad Juarez

🕒 Local time

04:51 4:51 AM

02:51 2:51 AM

2 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

1,501,551

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 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 = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.97 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Medellin Ciudad Juarez 4,280 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Ciudad Juarez

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 Ciudad Juarez: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,639 in Medellin, $1,140 in Ciudad Juarez – Ciudad Juarez comes out roughly 30% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,710 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $607 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $32 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 $1,639 in Medellin and $1,140 in Ciudad Juarez. That makes Ciudad Juarez about 30% cheaper.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,639 in Medellin and $1,140 in Ciudad Juarez, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Ciudad Juarez – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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