Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cuajimalpa

For one person, living is cheaper in Cuajimalpa: $1,141 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 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 Cuajimalpa
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Cuajimalpa Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Cuajimalpa

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,141

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Cuajimalpa

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,625 in Medellin versus $1,141 in Cuajimalpa.

Medellin $1,625
Cuajimalpa $1,141

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,412 in Medellin versus $1,827 in Cuajimalpa.

Medellin $2,412
Cuajimalpa $1,827

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,199 in Medellin versus $2,514 in Cuajimalpa.

Medellin $3,199
Cuajimalpa $2,514

Living in Medellin is roughly 42% more expensive than in Cuajimalpa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Cuajimalpa is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$10.81 MX$200

-23.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$43.13 MX$797

8.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$8.35 MX$154

10.66%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$3.60 MX$66.6

-15.28%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$1.40 MX$25.87

28.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$1.06 MX$19.50

30.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$2.52 MX$46.60

28.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$3.96 MX$73.2

40.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$1.58 MX$29.16

-5.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$2.64 MX$48.81

-10.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$1.70 MX$31.34

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$2.46 MX$45.39

20.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$8.08 MX$149

26.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$8.10 MX$150

20.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$11.30 MX$209

23.01%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$2.79 MX$51.5

48.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$1.51 MX$27.83

1.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$1.86 MX$34.44

19.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$1.81 MX$33.42

25.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$2.00 MX$36.89

-0.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$1.91 MX$35.21

-12.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$1.43 MX$26.42

-17.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$1.12 MX$20.79

10.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$4.44 MX$82.1

-12.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

$10.50 MX$194

31.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$1.79 MX$33.13

-7.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$3.18 MX$58.8

-24.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

$0.69 MX$12.73

79.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

$2.62 MX$48.32

-51.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

$2.01 MX$37.15

6.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

$10.91 MX$202

-23.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$1.44 MX$26.64

-6.25%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

$20.9K MX$386.5K

66.22%

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

$24.3K MX$448.9K

42.77%

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$57.5 MX$1,063

189.78%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$22.78 MX$421

-40.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$29.83 MX$551

-2.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

$34.34 MX$635

31.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

$20.21 MX$373

-14.99%

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

$5.31 MX$98.1

31.26%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$223 MX$4,122

254.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

$4,649 MX$85.9K

94.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$54.5 MX$1,008

60.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$41.13 MX$760

41.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$101 MX$1,863

37.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$88.6 MX$1,636

11.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$600 MX$11.1K

71.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$395 MX$7,290

57.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$1,021 MX$18.9K

84.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$764 MX$14.1K

31.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

$1,905 MX$35.2K

109.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$1,154 MX$21.3K

47.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

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: October 19, 2026

Last update for Cuajimalpa: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Cuajimalpa

$395 34.6% 36.3% $225

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Cuajimalpa

$262 23% 12% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Cuajimalpa

$110 9.7% 47.4% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Cuajimalpa

$128 11.2% 25.7% $44

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Cuajimalpa

$185 16.2% 8.4% $14

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Cuajimalpa

$15 * 1.4% 83.8% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Cuajimalpa

$45 3.9% 23.8% $14

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,028 in Medellin and $600 in Cuajimalpa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47.00 in Medellin vs $43.00 in Cuajimalpa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $262 per month, with Cuajimalpa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇲🇽 Cuajimalpa

🕒 Local time

08:56 8:56 AM

07:56 7:56 AM

1 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

217,686

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 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 October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Cuajimalpa 2,950 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Cuajimalpa

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 Cuajimalpa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cuajimalpa is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and transport. The 42% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,437 in Medellin and $1,711 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: $1,028 in Medellin versus $600 in Cuajimalpa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $790 in Medellin versus $223 in Cuajimalpa. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cuajimalpa – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $47.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,141 in Cuajimalpa versus $1,625 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cuajimalpa but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Cuajimalpa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cuajimalpa is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, 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 Cuajimalpa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.