Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cuautitlan Izcalli Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cuautitlan Izcalli

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,003 in Medellin versus $1,046 in Cuautitlan Izcalli.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,573 in Medellin versus $1,628 in Cuautitlan Izcalli.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $2,211 in Cuautitlan Izcalli.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 4% less than in Cuautitlan Izcalli, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 25% lower, Cuautitlan Izcalli 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.91 COP 18.6K

$10.74 MX$186

-44.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.96 COP 103.8K

$25.74 MX$445

28.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 COP 23.4K

$7.80 MX$135

-4.74%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,207

$3.20 MX$55.3

-48.44%

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

$1.10 COP 3,468

$1.60 MX$27.76

-31.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,458

$1.15 MX$19.91

-32.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,412

$2.35 MX$40.74

-26.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$4.82 MX$83.4

-34.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 COP 3,474

$1.56 MX$26.91

-29.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 3,962

$2.68 MX$46.44

-52.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,349

$1.34 MX$23.16

2.99%

Eggs

$2.18 COP 6,858

$2.56 MX$44.22

-14.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 COP 14.1K

$2.61 MX$45.07

72.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.79 COP 18.2K

$5.10 MX$88.2

13.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 28.2K

$6.80 MX$118

31.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 COP 7,308

$2.36 MX$40.78

-1.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,352

$1.54 MX$26.68

-31.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 4,774

$1.28 MX$22.20

18.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,270

$1.96 MX$33.92

-30.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,552

$2.16 MX$37.33

-47.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,689

$2.22 MX$38.41

-47.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,838

$1.44 MX$24.93

-37.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 2,823

$1.04 MX$17.96

-13.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 COP 7,034

$4.23 MX$73.2

-47.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 COP 38.2K

$10.25 MX$177

18.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 3,743

$1.52 MX$26.28

-21.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 7,815

$3.55 MX$61.5

-30.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 COP 2,687

$0.77 MX$13.24

10.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 131.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,459

$0.75 MX$13.01

89.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 COP 6,141

$0.30 MX$5.26

550.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 COP 24.8K

$5.26 MX$91.0

50.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,118

$1.23 MX$21.26

-19.51%

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

$17.6K COP 55.4M

$19.3K MX$333.8K

-8.77%

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

$26.8K COP 84.4M

$23.0K MX$398.2K

16.43%

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

$83.0 COP 261.4K

$40.56 MX$702

104.66%

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

$9.70 COP 30.5K

$27.00 MX$467

-64.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 COP 74.1K

$18.48 MX$320

27.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.26 COP 79.5K

$35.39 MX$612

-28.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 COP 60.1K

$15.56 MX$269

22.75%

Cinema Ticket

$3.95 COP 12.4K

$4.12 MX$71.2

-4.13%

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

$316 COP 994.2K

$440 MX$7,621

-28.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,975 COP 18.8M

$3,627 MX$62.8K

64.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 188.9K

$53.0 MX$916

13.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 100.2K

$26.27 MX$454

21.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 320.1K

$101 MX$1,754

0.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 338.3K

$52.3 MX$905

105.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 COP 1.5M

$508 MX$8,790

-6.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 COP 1.2M

$396 MX$6,843

-5.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 COP 2.7M

$933 MX$16.1K

-8.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 COP 2.3M

$754 MX$13.1K

-4.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,265 COP 10.3M

$1,899 MX$32.9K

71.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 COP 4.5M

$1,065 MX$18.4K

35.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

11.34

18.43%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Last update for Cuautitlan Izcalli: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $475 in Medellin and $508 in Cuautitlan Izcalli. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $26.00 in Cuautitlan Izcalli. Groceries flip the comparison at $193 vs $212, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.

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 Cuautitlan Izcalli: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,504 in Medellin and $1,568 in Cuautitlan Izcalli 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: $475 in Medellin versus $508 in Cuautitlan Izcalli. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $316 in Medellin versus $440 in Cuautitlan Izcalli. 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 $26.00 in Cuautitlan Izcalli. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,003 in Medellin versus $1,046 in Cuautitlan Izcalli, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Cuautitlan Izcalli. 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 Cuautitlan Izcalli, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Cuautitlan Izcalli 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 4% less than in Cuautitlan Izcalli. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.