Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cuautla

For one person, living is cheaper in Cuautla: $1,245 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index
61

Cost of Living Index in Cuautla
Learn more

Cuautla Living Index

Jump to prices

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Cuautla

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,245

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Cuautla

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $1,245 in Cuautla.

Medellin $1,639
Cuautla $1,245

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $2,023 in Cuautla.

Medellin $2,413
Cuautla $2,023

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $2,801 in Cuautla.

Medellin $3,186
Cuautla $2,801

Living in Medellin is roughly 32% more expensive than in Cuautla, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Cuautla is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.4K

$10.92 MX$204

-25.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.0K

$61.4 MX$1,147

-23.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 29.9K

$9.67 MX$181

-1.76%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,485

$3.51 MX$65.5

-14.25%

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

$1.80 COP 5,660

$1.63 MX$30.40

10.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,443

$1.08 MX$20.10

30.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 9,990

$3.20 MX$59.8

-0.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$5.50 MX$103

4.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,751

$1.91 MX$35.71

-20.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,480

$2.70 MX$50.4

-11.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,573

$1.98 MX$36.94

-10.61%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,093

$2.71 MX$50.6

6.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.1K

$8.53 MX$159

19.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.1K

$8.71 MX$163

13.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.0K

$13.62 MX$255

2.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.5K

$3.43 MX$64.1

15.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,883

$1.64 MX$30.58

-5.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,867

$2.11 MX$39.51

3.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,870

$1.92 MX$35.92

13.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,174

$1.79 MX$33.47

9.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,000

$1.79 MX$33.40

-11.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,604

$1.50 MX$27.94

-23.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,911

$1.16 MX$21.76

6.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$4.46 MX$83.3

-11.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.0K

$17.34 MX$324

-21.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,222

$2.10 MX$39.26

-20.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,104

$3.78 MX$70.7

-40.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,674

$0.63 MX$11.81

85.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

$29.38 MX$549

163.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 3,989

$3.24 MX$60.6

-60.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,442

$2.50 MX$46.80

-18.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

$10.67 MX$199

-19.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,237

$1.25 MX$23.33

8.00%

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

$34.1K COP 107.2M

$23.8K MX$445.0K

43.05%

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

$23.5K MX$438.4K

47.79%

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

$170 COP 533.7K

$57.5 MX$1,074

195.15%

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

$13.55 COP 42.6K

$26.76 MX$500

-49.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.3K

$24.76 MX$463

13.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

$33.01 MX$617

32.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

$19.49 MX$364

-11.80%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.7K

$7.35 MX$137

-5.99%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$259 MX$4,840

207.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

$4,899 MX$91.5K

85.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 266.5K

$52.7 MX$985

60.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 182.3K

$43.41 MX$811

33.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 424.6K

$97.2 MX$1,816

38.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 307.9K

$94.9 MX$1,773

3.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$649 MX$12.1K

86.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$414 MX$7,728

55.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$952 MX$17.8K

112.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$783 MX$14.6K

29.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

$2,039 MX$38.1K

104.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$976 MX$18.2K

95.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.99

-8.76%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Cuautla: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Cuautla

$414 33.2% 35.5% $228

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Cuautla

$302 24.2% 1.5% $4.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Cuautla

$109 8.8% 48.4% $102

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Cuautla

$196 15.8% 15.7% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Cuautla

$130 10.4% 23.3% $39

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Cuautla

$48 3.8% 49% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Cuautla

$48 3.8% 17.1% $9.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $649 in Cuautla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $61 in Cuautla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $302 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇲🇽 Cuautla

🕒 Local time

04:13 4:13 AM

03:13 3:13 AM

1 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

157,336

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

100 MXN = 5.35 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,501 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.69 MXN (100 MXN = 5.35 USD). 1 EUR = 20.8 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Cuautla 2,890 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Cuautla

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 Cuautla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cuautla is cheaper overall, especially in transport, clothing, and leisure. The 32% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $2,459 in Medellin and $1,868 in Cuautla 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: $1,208 in Medellin versus $649 in Cuautla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $797 in Medellin versus $259 in Cuautla. 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 $47 versus $61 in Cuautla. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,245 in Cuautla versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cuautla but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Cuautla the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.