Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cuajimalpa Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cuajimalpa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,030 in Medellin versus $1,101 in Cuajimalpa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,586 in Medellin versus $1,769 in Cuajimalpa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $2,438 in Cuajimalpa.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 6% less than in Cuajimalpa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Cuajimalpa 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.2K

$10.61 MX$184

-44.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.17 COP 118.7K

$39.25 MX$680

-15.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.25 COP 25.9K

$8.00 MX$139

-9.38%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,137

$3.21 MX$55.6

-46.73%

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

$1.09 COP 3,915

$1.27 MX$22.04

-14.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,743

$0.97 MX$16.72

-20.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 COP 6,254

$2.39 MX$41.50

-26.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 11.4K

$3.97 MX$68.7

-19.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,792

$1.50 MX$26.03

-29.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,657

$2.52 MX$43.65

-48.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,926

$1.63 MX$28.26

-15.34%

Eggs

$2.21 COP 7,908

$2.32 MX$40.16

-4.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.52 COP 16.2K

$7.93 MX$138

-43.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 COP 20.7K

$7.85 MX$136

-26.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 32.1K

$10.38 MX$180

-13.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 COP 8,182

$2.61 MX$45.25

-12.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,791

$1.45 MX$25.18

-26.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 COP 5,411

$1.80 MX$31.22

-16.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,869

$1.60 MX$27.76

-15.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,146

$1.93 MX$33.53

-39.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,174

$2.02 MX$34.96

-42.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 COP 2,960

$1.25 MX$21.72

-33.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 COP 3,043

$1.02 MX$17.59

-16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.35 COP 8,423

$4.06 MX$70.3

-42.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.09 COP 39.7K

$10.82 MX$188

2.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 COP 4,133

$1.57 MX$27.15

-26.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,853

$2.77 MX$47.98

-10.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,827

$0.65 MX$11.33

21.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.85 COP 149.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,140

$2.65 MX$46.00

-45.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,793

$1.60 MX$27.72

18.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.70 COP 27.6K

$8.50 MX$147

-9.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 COP 3,680

$1.27 MX$21.98

-18.90%

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

$17.7K COP 63.3M

$21.0K MX$364.0K

-15.82%

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

$27.0K COP 96.7M

$22.3K MX$386.0K

21.31%

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

$81.4 COP 291.4K

$56.2 MX$974

44.90%

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

$9.42 COP 33.7K

$22.32 MX$387

-57.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.77 COP 85.1K

$28.00 MX$485

-15.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.86 COP 92.6K

$35.86 MX$621

-27.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.34 COP 69.2K

$16.14 MX$280

19.83%

Cinema Ticket

$4.05 COP 14.5K

$4.70 MX$81.5

-13.83%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$208 MX$3,600

50.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,067 COP 21.7M

$3,536 MX$61.3K

71.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 COP 210.7K

$53.9 MX$934

9.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.82 COP 117.5K

$39.27 MX$680

-16.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 COP 359.6K

$91.3 MX$1,583

10.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 COP 380.3K

$78.7 MX$1,363

35.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 COP 1.8M

$501 MX$8,688

-2.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 COP 1.3M

$389 MX$6,741

-4.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$931 MX$16.1K

-9.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 COP 2.6M

$761 MX$13.2K

-6.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,952 COP 10.6M

$1,851 MX$32.1K

59.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,394 COP 5.0M

$1,343 MX$23.3K

3.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$532 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

11.48

16.99%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 20, 2026

Last update for Cuajimalpa: April 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Medellin and $501 in Cuajimalpa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33 in Medellin vs $39 in Cuajimalpa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $249 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 Cuajimalpa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,544 in Medellin and $1,651 in Cuajimalpa to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $490 in Medellin versus $501 in Cuajimalpa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $312 in Medellin versus $208 in Cuajimalpa. 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 $39.00 in Cuajimalpa. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,030 in Medellin versus $1,101 in Cuajimalpa, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Cuajimalpa. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Medellin is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cuajimalpa, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Cuajimalpa 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 7% less than in Cuajimalpa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.