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: $1,716 in Medellin versus $1,219 in Cuajimalpa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,527 in Medellin versus $1,978 in Cuajimalpa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,338 in Medellin versus $2,738 in Cuajimalpa.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Cuajimalpa is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.1K

$11.56 MX$195

-30.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 151.0K

$47.40 MX$800

1.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.6K

$8.86 MX$150

10.27%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,107

$3.87 MX$65.3

-24.81%

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

$1.94 COP 6,082

$1.45 MX$24.49

33.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,760

$1.09 MX$18.48

39.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,676

$2.91 MX$49.19

6.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 18.0K

$4.36 MX$73.5

31.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,267

$1.70 MX$28.66

-20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,470

$2.87 MX$48.47

-16.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,321

$1.74 MX$29.40

-2.30%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 8,979

$2.55 MX$43.00

12.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.1K

$9.07 MX$153

9.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.7K

$8.74 MX$148

23.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.1K

$12.60 MX$213

16.90%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$2.98 MX$50.3

37.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,917

$1.69 MX$28.54

-7.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,651

$1.99 MX$33.53

7.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,926

$1.96 MX$33.04

12.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,404

$2.09 MX$35.32

-1.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,706

$1.91 MX$32.29

-21.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,723

$1.53 MX$25.83

-22.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,623

$1.20 MX$20.25

-3.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$5.34 MX$90.2

-26.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.2K

$11.59 MX$196

24.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,955

$1.94 MX$32.71

-18.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,847

$3.29 MX$55.6

-13.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,655

$0.75 MX$12.62

56.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 243.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,019

$2.57 MX$43.40

-50.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,546

$1.94 MX$32.72

7.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 27.0K

$10.18 MX$172

-15.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,061

$1.53 MX$25.79

-15.03%

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

$27.7K COP 86.5M

$23.0K MX$388.6K

20.16%

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

$35.5K COP 111.1M

$27.8K MX$469.0K

27.83%

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

$176 COP 550.9K

$67.2 MX$1,134

162.13%

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

$13.37 COP 41.8K

$24.55 MX$414

-45.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 93.5K

$35.69 MX$603

-16.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 140.0K

$40.66 MX$687

10.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.4K

$20.12 MX$340

-15.21%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.4K

$4.80 MX$81.0

29.17%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$239 MX$4,042

231.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.2M

$5,487 MX$92.6K

64.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 267.8K

$50.7 MX$855

69.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 182.9K

$38.64 MX$652

51.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 426.4K

$114 MX$1,925

19.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 322.6K

$101 MX$1,708

1.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$660 MX$11.1K

60.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$430 MX$7,264

57.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$988 MX$16.7K

103.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$943 MX$15.9K

23.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.9M

$1,684 MX$28.4K

144.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$1,234 MX$20.8K

37.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 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: August 30, 2026

Last update for Cuajimalpa: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,060 in Medellin and $660 in Cuajimalpa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $47.00 in Cuajimalpa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $284 per month, with Cuajimalpa 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

Cuajimalpa is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 41% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,574 in Medellin and $1,828 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: $1,060 in Medellin versus $660 in Cuajimalpa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $793 in Medellin versus $239 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 $47.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,219 in Cuajimalpa versus $1,716 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 41% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.