Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ciudad Obregon

For one person, living is cheaper in Ciudad Obregon: $1,129 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 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
55

Cost of Living Index in Ciudad Obregon
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Ciudad Obregon Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Ciudad Obregon

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,129

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $1,129 in Ciudad Obregon.

Medellin $1,639
Ciudad Obregon $1,129

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $1,686 in Ciudad Obregon.

Medellin $2,413
Ciudad Obregon $1,686

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $2,243 in Ciudad Obregon.

Medellin $3,186
Ciudad Obregon $2,243

Living in Medellin is roughly 45% more expensive than in Ciudad Obregon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Ciudad Obregon is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$10.79 MX$200

-25.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.8K

$35.52 MX$660

32.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$8.68 MX$161

9.45%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,729

$2.90 MX$53.8

3.79%

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

$1.80 COP 5,806

$1.19 MX$22.16

51.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,558

$0.82 MX$15.30

71.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

$2.55 MX$47.30

24.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$3.84 MX$71.3

49.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,873

$1.69 MX$31.41

-10.65%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,673

$2.26 MX$41.95

5.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,716

$0.89 MX$16.51

98.88%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,327

$3.10 MX$57.6

-6.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$4.24 MX$78.7

140.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$5.47 MX$102

80.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

$10.70 MX$199

30.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$1.79 MX$33.26

121.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,009

$1.11 MX$20.59

39.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,044

$1.11 MX$20.62

96.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,047

$1.30 MX$24.15

67.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,333

$1.80 MX$33.35

8.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,129

$2.16 MX$40.16

-26.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,696

$0.56 MX$10.44

105.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,012

$1.40 MX$26.01

-11.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$4.19 MX$77.8

-5.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$8.81 MX$164

55.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,356

$0.56 MX$10.48

196.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,286

$1.31 MX$24.27

72.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,769

$0.68 MX$12.55

72.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.7K

$26.31 MX$489

194.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,092

$1.84 MX$34.25

-30.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,608

$1.68 MX$31.25

22.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$10.65 MX$198

-19.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,346

$1.30 MX$24.06

3.85%

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

$34.1K COP 109.9M

$24.4K MX$452.8K

39.71%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$23.5K MX$435.6K

47.81%

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

$170 COP 547.5K

$95.4 MX$1,771

77.92%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$27.91 MX$518

-51.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$31.31 MX$581

-10.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.0K

$32.63 MX$606

33.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$20.11 MX$373

-14.52%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$3.68 MX$68.3

87.77%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$293 MX$5,446

171.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$4,826 MX$89.6K

88.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.4K

$43.53 MX$808

94.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.0K

$32.76 MX$608

76.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.5K

$64.7 MX$1,201

108.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.8K

$65.7 MX$1,220

49.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$609 MX$11.3K

98.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$420 MX$7,802

52.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$1,134 MX$21.1K

78.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$660 MX$12.3K

53.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$1,882 MX$35.0K

121.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$1,110 MX$20.6K

72.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$1,175 MX$21.8K

-44.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.6

-5.69%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ciudad Obregon: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Ciudad Obregon

$420 37.2% 34.5% $221

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Ciudad Obregon

$206 18.3% 30.6% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Ciudad Obregon

$155 13.7% 26.8% $57

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Ciudad Obregon

$176 15.6% 3.5% $6

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Ciudad Obregon

$93 8.2% 45% $76

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Ciudad Obregon

$39 3.5% 58% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Ciudad Obregon

$40 3.5% 30.5% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $609 in Ciudad Obregon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ciudad Obregon pays 79% 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 $36 in Ciudad Obregon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $206 per month, with Ciudad Obregon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇲🇽 Ciudad Obregon

🕒 Local time

22:15 10:15 PM

20:15 8:15 PM

2 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

329,404

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

100 MXN = 5.38 USD

100 MXN = 4.8 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 3, 2026: 1 USD = 3,227 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,617 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.57 MXN (100 MXN = 5.38 USD). 1 EUR = 20.81 MXN (100 MXN = 4.8 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Medellin Ciudad Obregon 4,320 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Ciudad Obregon

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 Obregon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ciudad Obregon wins on cost – living expenses run 31% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Ciudad Obregon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 44% 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 $609 in Ciudad Obregon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Ciudad Obregon – a meal for two runs $36 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 $1,129 in Ciudad Obregon – Ciudad Obregon is about 31% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Ciudad Obregon is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Ciudad Obregon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.