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: $1,034 in Medellin versus $1,012 in Cuernavaca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,577 in Medellin versus $1,682 in Cuernavaca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,120 in Medellin versus $2,352 in Cuernavaca.

Living in Medellin is roughly 2% more expensive than Cuernavaca, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Cuernavaca 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$9.51 MX$166

-37.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$37.72 MX$660

-13.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$7.03 MX$123

2.42%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$2.32 MX$40.57

-26.72%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$1.26 MX$22.06

-12.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.77 MX$13.52

-6.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$2.19 MX$38.24

-23.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$3.22 MX$56.3

-3.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$1.56 MX$27.21

-32.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$1.77 MX$31.05

-29.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$1.33 MX$23.25

4.51%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$1.89 MX$33.06

19.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$8.26 MX$144

-47.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$6.26 MX$110

-6.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$12.99 MX$227

-32.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$2.10 MX$36.71

6.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$1.31 MX$23.01

-17.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$1.71 MX$29.93

-10.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$1.55 MX$27.15

-11.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$1.76 MX$30.86

-35.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$1.91 MX$33.46

-41.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$0.99 MX$17.29

-14.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$0.71 MX$12.39

28.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$4.16 MX$72.9

-43.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$8.56 MX$150

30.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$1.15 MX$20.11

3.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$2.94 MX$51.5

-19.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$0.52 MX$9.08

51.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

$26.90 MX$471

52.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$1.87 MX$32.67

-22.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$1.19 MX$20.80

60.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$9.06 MX$159

-11.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$1.29 MX$22.60

-27.13%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$18.5K MX$323.6K

-3.07%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$20.6K MX$360.6K

30.02%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$60.2 MX$1,053

39.47%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$22.63 MX$396

-57.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$27.78 MX$486

-13.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$22.94 MX$401

12.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

$15.76 MX$276

20.81%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$5.34 MX$93.5

-26.59%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$214 MX$3,749

42.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$4,891 MX$85.6K

21.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$48.02 MX$840

20.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$39.62 MX$693

-19.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$101 MX$1,768

-1.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$84.3 MX$1,475

27.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$371 MX$6,496

31.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$318 MX$5,573

15.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$910 MX$15.9K

-9.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$772 MX$13.5K

-7.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$928 MX$16.2K

215.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

$635 MX$11.1K

121.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

$683 MX$11.9K

-20.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

11.33

18.53%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Last update for Cuernavaca: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Medellin and $371 in Cuernavaca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cuernavaca pays 25% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $38.00 in Cuernavaca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $225 per month, with Medellin 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 Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Cuernavaca earns 25% less. 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: $487 in Medellin versus $371 in Cuernavaca. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 18% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Cuernavaca – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,012 in Cuernavaca versus $1,034 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 2% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.