Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cuauhtémoc Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cuauhtémoc

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,681 per month in Medellin vs $1,226 in Cuauhtémoc, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,445 per month in Medellin vs $1,936 in Cuauhtémoc, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,210 per month in Medellin vs $2,647 in Cuauhtémoc, rent included.

Medellin costs about 37% more than Cuauhtémoc, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Medellin sits 23% above the global median, while Cuauhtémoc is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.3K

$11.69 MX$201

-31.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 151.0K

$47.09 MX$808

1.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.2K

$8.80 MX$151

12.39%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,873

$3.81 MX$65.4

-17.85%

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

$1.91 COP 6,019

$1.40 MX$24.10

36.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,763

$1.09 MX$18.68

38.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,853

$2.86 MX$49.12

9.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$4.31 MX$74.0

33.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,558

$1.68 MX$28.76

-14.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,843

$2.61 MX$44.81

-4.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,595

$1.61 MX$27.61

9.94%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,336

$2.58 MX$44.23

14.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.8K

$8.90 MX$153

13.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.9K

$9.17 MX$157

10.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.1K

$13.29 MX$228

7.60%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.0K

$2.66 MX$45.66

55.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,073

$1.81 MX$31.01

-11.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,083

$2.34 MX$40.25

-3.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,104

$1.76 MX$30.13

27.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,444

$1.81 MX$31.13

12.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,842

$1.88 MX$32.21

-18.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,691

$1.53 MX$26.24

-23.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,121

$1.10 MX$18.80

19.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.3K

$4.44 MX$76.2

-12.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.2K

$12.70 MX$218

10.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,498

$1.97 MX$33.78

-11.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,053

$2.98 MX$51.1

-3.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,834

$0.65 MX$11.18

87.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 253.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,129

$2.63 MX$45.19

-50.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,899

$2.16 MX$37.06

1.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.5K

$10.61 MX$182

-17.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,306

$1.74 MX$29.80

-21.26%

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

$27.8K COP 87.8M

$21.4K MX$366.6K

30.35%

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

$35.8K COP 112.8M

$26.9K MX$461.4K

33.09%

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

$177 COP 559.3K

$57.9 MX$994

206.27%

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

$13.88 COP 43.8K

$21.81 MX$374

-36.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 93.8K

$27.22 MX$467

9.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 141.6K

$40.35 MX$693

11.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.0K

$18.19 MX$312

-5.88%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.0K

$5.47 MX$93.9

21.57%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$233 MX$3,997

249.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.0M

$4,664 MX$80.0K

96.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 282.3K

$64.2 MX$1,101

39.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 186.0K

$39.90 MX$685

47.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 435.9K

$110 MX$1,888

25.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 322.1K

$96.1 MX$1,650

6.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$635 MX$10.9K

67.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$363 MX$6,233

82.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$1,126 MX$19.3K

67.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$802 MX$13.8K

28.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.2M

$2,032 MX$34.9K

105.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$1,392 MX$23.9K

20.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 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: September 14, 2026

Last update for Cuauhtémoc: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,062 in Medellin versus $635 in Cuauhtémoc. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $47.00 in Cuauhtémoc. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $305 vs $284 – making Cuauhtémoc the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Cuauhtémoc: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 37%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,521 per month in Medellin and $1,838 in Cuauhtémoc. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cuauhtémoc, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin and $47.00 in Cuauhtémoc. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 7% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cuauhtémoc, where all-in costs run around $1,226, than in Medellin at $1,681. In Cuauhtémoc it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cuauhtémoc – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Cuauhtémoc. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.