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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,030 in Medellin versus $1,041 in Ciudad Obregon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,586 in Medellin versus $1,634 in Ciudad Obregon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $2,228 in Ciudad Obregon.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 1% less than in Ciudad Obregon, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Ciudad Obregon 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.2K

$10.50 MX$182

-43.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.17 COP 118.7K

$33.84 MX$586

-1.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.25 COP 25.9K

$6.89 MX$119

5.22%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,137

$2.23 MX$38.63

-23.32%

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

$1.09 COP 3,915

$0.69 MX$12.00

57.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,743

$0.58 MX$10.08

32.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 COP 6,254

$1.28 MX$22.26

36.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 11.4K

$1.81 MX$31.36

75.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,792

$1.70 MX$29.45

-37.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,657

$2.14 MX$37.13

-39.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,926

$1.42 MX$24.62

-2.82%

Eggs

$2.21 COP 7,908

$2.25 MX$39.01

-1.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.52 COP 16.2K

$4.70 MX$81.4

-3.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 COP 20.7K

$5.30 MX$91.9

9.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 32.1K

$9.31 MX$161

-3.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 COP 8,182

$1.80 MX$31.13

27.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,791

$1.83 MX$31.65

-42.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 COP 5,411

$1.76 MX$30.54

-14.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,869

$1.62 MX$28.08

-16.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,146

$1.73 MX$30.00

-32.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,174

$1.73 MX$30.01

-32.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 COP 2,960

$1.08 MX$18.76

-23.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 COP 3,043

$1.37 MX$23.79

-37.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.35 COP 8,423

$4.05 MX$70.1

-41.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.09 COP 39.7K

$10.00 MX$173

10.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 COP 4,133

$1.94 MX$33.65

-40.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,853

$2.81 MX$48.76

-12.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,827

$0.61 MX$10.64

29.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.85 COP 149.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,140

$1.61 MX$27.93

-10.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,793

$1.60 MX$27.76

18.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.70 COP 27.6K

$8.48 MX$147

-9.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 COP 3,680

$1.26 MX$21.78

-18.25%

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

$17.7K COP 63.3M

$16.9K MX$293.2K

4.50%

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

$27.0K COP 96.7M

$23.2K MX$402.8K

16.24%

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

$81.4 COP 291.4K

$99.3 MX$1,722

-18.04%

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

$9.42 COP 33.7K

$22.59 MX$392

-58.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.77 COP 85.1K

$26.78 MX$464

-11.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.86 COP 92.6K

$36.57 MX$634

-29.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.34 COP 69.2K

$15.64 MX$271

23.66%

Cinema Ticket

$4.05 COP 14.5K

$3.56 MX$61.7

13.76%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$289 MX$5,015

7.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,067 COP 21.7M

$4,690 MX$81.3K

29.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 COP 210.7K

$42.87 MX$743

37.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.82 COP 117.5K

$32.02 MX$555

2.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 COP 359.6K

$62.3 MX$1,079

61.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 COP 380.3K

$62.7 MX$1,087

69.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 COP 1.8M

$499 MX$8,655

-1.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 COP 1.3M

$399 MX$6,910

-7.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$940 MX$16.3K

-10.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 COP 2.6M

$775 MX$13.4K

-7.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,952 COP 10.6M

$2,012 MX$34.9K

46.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,394 COP 5.0M

$1,283 MX$22.2K

8.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$532 COP 1.9M

$1,223 MX$21.2K

-56.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

11.5

16.78%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 20, 2026

Last update for Ciudad Obregon: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Medellin and $499 in Ciudad Obregon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ciudad Obregon pays 130% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $33 in Medellin vs $34 in Ciudad Obregon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $222 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 Obregon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Ciudad Obregon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Ciudad Obregon earns 130% less. 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: $490 in Medellin versus $499 in Ciudad Obregon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $312 in Medellin versus $289 in Ciudad Obregon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $34.00 in Ciudad Obregon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,030 in Medellin versus $1,041 in Ciudad Obregon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Ciudad Obregon. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,030 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Ciudad Obregon are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Ciudad Obregon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.