Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Colima Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Colima

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,047 in Colima.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,702 in Colima.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $2,357 in Colima.

Living in Medellin is roughly 61% more expensive than in Colima, driven mainly by Getting Around.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$7.79 MX$134

2.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$35.34 MX$609

35.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$7.52 MX$130

31.52%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$2.29 MX$39.48

36.68%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$1.11 MX$19.14

72.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.87 MX$14.92

73.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$2.39 MX$41.20

30.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$2.66 MX$45.90

116.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.50 MX$25.83

-4.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$2.79 MX$48.06

-10.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$1.45 MX$24.96

22.07%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$2.66 MX$45.93

11.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$9.43 MX$163

6.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$8.98 MX$155

12.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$10.67 MX$184

34.02%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$3.04 MX$52.4

36.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.64 MX$28.31

-1.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$2.59 MX$44.74

-13.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$2.64 MX$45.58

-14.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$2.45 MX$42.23

-16.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$2.55 MX$44.00

-39.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$1.53 MX$26.40

-23.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$1.21 MX$20.92

8.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$3.86 MX$66.5

1.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$8.90 MX$154

57.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.62 MX$27.91

7.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$1.96 MX$33.82

46.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.71 MX$12.27

71.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$21.07 MX$363

281.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$2.68 MX$46.26

-51.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$2.99 MX$51.6

-26.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$17.36 MX$299

-49.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.48 MX$25.47

-7.43%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$22.8K MX$392.7K

22.20%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$23.8K MX$409.8K

50.52%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$69.0 MX$1,190

156.96%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$21.91 MX$378

-36.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$31.61 MX$545

-5.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$37.78 MX$651

18.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$23.40 MX$403

-26.84%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$4.90 MX$84.5

35.71%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$156 MX$2,691

420.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$2,644 MX$45.6K

247.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$47.30 MX$816

89.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$31.77 MX$548

85.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$83.4 MX$1,438

65.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$110 MX$1,893

-7.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$280 MX$4,821

279.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$284 MX$4,901

133.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$394 MX$6,799

378.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$628 MX$10.8K

63.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$300 MX$5,180

125.57%

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 Colima: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $280 in Colima. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 126% 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: $48.00 in Medellin vs $35.00 in Colima for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $276 per month, with Colima 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 Colima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Colima differ by about 61% in total monthly costs ($1,681 vs $1,047 including rent). Colima is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 126% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,062 in Medellin versus $280 in Colima. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Colima runs roughly 282% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $156 in Colima. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,047 in Colima versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Colima but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Colima the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Colima 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 Colima gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.