Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cuernavaca Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cuernavaca

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,060 in Cuernavaca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,774 in Cuernavaca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $2,488 in Cuernavaca.

Living in Medellin is roughly 59% more expensive than in Cuernavaca, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Cuernavaca is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.3K

$8.63 MX$148

-7.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 151.0K

$41.25 MX$708

16.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.2K

$7.65 MX$131

29.28%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,873

$2.56 MX$43.96

22.27%

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

$1.91 COP 6,019

$1.42 MX$24.34

34.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,763

$0.70 MX$12.07

115.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,853

$2.55 MX$43.81

22.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$3.48 MX$59.8

65.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,558

$1.75 MX$30.01

-17.71%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,843

$2.50 MX$42.93

-0.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,595

$1.55 MX$26.55

14.19%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,336

$2.04 MX$34.97

45.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.8K

$8.62 MX$148

16.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.9K

$5.33 MX$91.5

89.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.1K

$14.35 MX$246

-0.35%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.0K

$2.39 MX$41.01

73.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,073

$1.43 MX$24.53

12.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,083

$2.27 MX$39.01

-0.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,104

$1.72 MX$29.47

30.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,444

$1.91 MX$32.74

6.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,842

$1.87 MX$32.15

-17.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,691

$1.63 MX$27.96

-28.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,121

$0.97 MX$16.63

35.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.3K

$4.75 MX$81.6

-17.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.2K

$8.89 MX$153

57.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,498

$1.31 MX$22.53

32.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,053

$3.53 MX$60.6

-18.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,834

$0.57 MX$9.75

114.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 253.9K

$28.76 MX$494

179.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,129

$2.07 MX$35.49

-36.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,899

$2.76 MX$47.37

-20.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.5K

$11.90 MX$204

-26.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,306

$1.43 MX$24.57

-4.20%

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

$27.8K COP 87.8M

$22.5K MX$385.7K

23.88%

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

$35.8K COP 112.8M

$25.5K MX$436.9K

40.56%

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

$177 COP 559.3K

$65.1 MX$1,118

172.22%

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

$13.88 COP 43.8K

$19.87 MX$341

-30.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 93.8K

$26.23 MX$450

13.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 141.6K

$27.37 MX$470

63.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.0K

$5.92 MX$102

12.33%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$237 MX$4,075

242.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.0M

$5,401 MX$92.7K

70.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 282.3K

$44.23 MX$759

102.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 186.0K

$35.27 MX$605

67.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 435.9K

$99.3 MX$1,705

39.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 322.1K

$105 MX$1,807

-2.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$422 MX$7,239

151.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$349 MX$5,988

90.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$992 MX$17.0K

90.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$866 MX$14.9K

18.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.2M

$943 MX$16.2K

343.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$631 MX$10.8K

165.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$702 MX$12.0K

-3.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.4

-4.04%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Cuernavaca: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $422 in Cuernavaca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cuernavaca pays 4% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $41.00 in Cuernavaca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $250 per month, with Cuernavaca 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 Cuernavaca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cuernavaca is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 59% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 4% lower in Cuernavaca. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,062 in Medellin versus $422 in Cuernavaca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Cuernavaca – a meal for two runs $41.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,060 in Cuernavaca versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cuernavaca but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Cuernavaca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cuernavaca 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 Cuernavaca 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 Cuernavaca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.