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: $1,003 in Medellin versus $994 in Cuernavaca.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,573 in Medellin versus $1,697 in Cuernavaca.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $2,399 in Cuernavaca.

Living in Medellin is roughly 1% more expensive than in Cuernavaca, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 25% lower, Cuernavaca 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.91 COP 19.1K

$9.86 MX$171

-40.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.96 COP 106.5K

$37.73 MX$654

-12.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 COP 24.0K

$7.00 MX$121

6.14%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,343

$2.34 MX$40.63

-29.49%

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

$1.10 COP 3,559

$1.32 MX$22.83

-16.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,523

$0.74 MX$12.74

5.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,553

$2.27 MX$39.37

-24.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$3.09 MX$53.6

2.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 COP 3,565

$1.53 MX$26.57

-28.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,066

$1.78 MX$30.80

-29.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,463

$1.38 MX$23.91

Eggs

$2.18 COP 7,038

$1.81 MX$31.34

20.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 COP 14.5K

$8.16 MX$141

-44.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.79 COP 18.7K

$6.31 MX$109

-8.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 29.0K

$13.15 MX$228

-31.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 COP 7,499

$2.11 MX$36.64

9.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,440

$1.27 MX$22.09

-16.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 4,899

$1.74 MX$30.09

-12.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,381

$1.56 MX$27.09

-12.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,645

$1.79 MX$31.10

-36.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,785

$1.87 MX$32.42

-37.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,912

$0.98 MX$16.90

-8.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 2,897

$0.72 MX$12.48

25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 COP 7,218

$4.21 MX$73.0

-47.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 COP 39.2K

$8.59 MX$149

41.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 3,841

$1.14 MX$19.80

4.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 8,020

$2.85 MX$49.46

-12.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 COP 2,758

$0.55 MX$9.48

54.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 134.5K

$26.91 MX$466

54.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,575

$1.87 MX$32.47

-24.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 COP 6,302

$1.20 MX$20.80

62.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 COP 25.5K

$9.38 MX$162

-15.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,200

$1.23 MX$21.26

-19.51%

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

$17.6K COP 56.9M

$18.4K MX$318.0K

-4.09%

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

$26.8K COP 86.6M

$20.8K MX$361.0K

28.62%

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

$83.0 COP 268.2K

$60.4 MX$1,046

37.48%

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

$9.70 COP 31.3K

$22.92 MX$397

-57.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 COP 76.0K

$28.54 MX$494

-17.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.26 COP 81.6K

$22.81 MX$395

10.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 COP 61.7K

$15.71 MX$272

21.58%

Cinema Ticket

$3.95 COP 12.8K

$5.15 MX$89.2

-23.30%

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

$316 COP 1.0M

$208 MX$3,602

51.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,975 COP 19.3M

$4,854 MX$84.1K

23.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 193.8K

$47.44 MX$822

26.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 102.8K

$40.16 MX$696

-20.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 328.5K

$97.9 MX$1,696

3.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 347.2K

$83.8 MX$1,452

28.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 COP 1.5M

$371 MX$6,434

27.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 COP 1.2M

$317 MX$5,496

17.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 COP 2.7M

$917 MX$15.9K

-7.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 COP 2.3M

$791 MX$13.7K

-9.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,265 COP 10.5M

$925 MX$16.0K

252.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 COP 4.7M

$644 MX$11.2K

123.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 COP 2.0M

$681 MX$11.8K

-8.25%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Cuernavaca: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $475 in Medellin and $371 in Cuernavaca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cuernavaca pays 9% 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 $193 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 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 9% 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: $475 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 16% 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 $994 in Cuernavaca versus $1,003 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 1% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.