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: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,195 in Ciudad Obregon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,966 in Ciudad Obregon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $2,737 in Ciudad Obregon.

Living in Medellin is roughly 41% more expensive than in Ciudad Obregon, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Ciudad Obregon is 13% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.3K

$10.67 MX$183

-24.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 151.0K

$52.8 MX$906

-9.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.2K

$9.47 MX$162

4.44%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,873

$3.72 MX$63.9

-15.86%

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

$1.91 COP 6,019

$1.57 MX$27.00

21.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,763

$1.08 MX$18.48

39.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,853

$2.81 MX$48.22

11.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$4.88 MX$83.7

17.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,558

$1.67 MX$28.70

-13.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,843

$2.79 MX$47.93

-10.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,595

$1.71 MX$29.43

3.51%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,336

$2.53 MX$43.51

17.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.8K

$8.81 MX$151

14.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.9K

$8.83 MX$152

14.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.1K

$12.11 MX$208

18.08%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.0K

$2.87 MX$49.26

44.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,073

$1.67 MX$28.68

-3.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,083

$2.09 MX$35.91

7.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,104

$1.95 MX$33.48

15.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,444

$2.14 MX$36.65

-4.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,842

$2.19 MX$37.62

-29.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,691

$1.43 MX$24.55

-18.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,121

$1.14 MX$19.56

14.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.3K

$4.62 MX$79.3

-15.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.2K

$10.94 MX$188

28.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,498

$1.99 MX$34.15

-12.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,053

$3.31 MX$56.8

-13.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,834

$0.67 MX$11.50

82.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 253.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,129

$2.84 MX$48.78

-53.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,899

$1.92 MX$32.91

14.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.5K

$12.17 MX$209

-28.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,306

$1.40 MX$24.08

-2.14%

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

$27.8K COP 87.8M

$21.1K MX$361.8K

32.07%

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

$35.8K COP 112.8M

$24.4K MX$419.4K

46.39%

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

$177 COP 559.3K

$61.8 MX$1,060

186.99%

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

$13.88 COP 43.8K

$25.85 MX$444

-46.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 93.8K

$27.42 MX$471

8.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 141.6K

$36.91 MX$634

21.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.0K

$21.37 MX$367

-19.89%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.0K

$5.51 MX$94.6

20.69%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$242 MX$4,152

236.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.0M

$4,981 MX$85.5K

84.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 282.3K

$59.3 MX$1,018

50.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 186.0K

$45.16 MX$775

30.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 435.9K

$108 MX$1,846

28.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 322.1K

$92.2 MX$1,583

10.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$555 MX$9,527

91.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$431 MX$7,405

53.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$1,041 MX$17.9K

81.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$939 MX$16.1K

9.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.2M

$1,975 MX$33.9K

111.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$1,220 MX$20.9K

37.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$1,272 MX$21.8K

-46.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.3

-3.19%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Ciudad Obregon: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $555 in Ciudad Obregon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ciudad Obregon pays 88% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $53.0 in Ciudad Obregon. Groceries flip the comparison at $305 vs $280, with Ciudad Obregon cheaper for home cooking.

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 41% 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 88% lower in Ciudad Obregon. 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $555 in Ciudad Obregon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $242 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 Ciudad Obregon – a meal for two runs $53.0 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,195 in Ciudad Obregon versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ciudad Obregon but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Ciudad Obregon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ciudad Obregon delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,195 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ciudad Obregon 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 Ciudad Obregon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.