Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ecatepec

For one person, living is cheaper in Ecatepec: $941 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Ecatepec
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Ecatepec Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Ecatepec

🇲🇽 Mexico

$941

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Ecatepec

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $941 in Ecatepec, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Ecatepec $941

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,634 in Ecatepec, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Ecatepec $1,634

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,327 in Ecatepec, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Ecatepec $2,327

Medellin costs about 74% more than Ecatepec, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Ecatepec is 31% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$10.59 MX$199

-23.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$48.51 MX$909

-3.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$9.63 MX$180

-1.35%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,734

$3.48 MX$65.2

-13.51%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$1.57 MX$29.34

14.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,560

$1.02 MX$19.14

38.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$3.19 MX$59.8

-0.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$5.44 MX$102

5.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,875

$1.78 MX$33.35

-15.17%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,677

$2.70 MX$50.5

-11.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,719

$1.97 MX$36.90

-10.15%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,332

$2.70 MX$50.5

7.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$8.95 MX$168

13.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$9.01 MX$169

9.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$13.19 MX$247

6.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$3.18 MX$59.7

24.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,011

$1.59 MX$29.76

-2.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,047

$1.97 MX$37.01

10.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,050

$1.90 MX$35.62

14.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,336

$1.81 MX$33.92

8.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,131

$1.72 MX$32.21

-7.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,698

$1.45 MX$27.24

-20.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$1.22 MX$22.89

1.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$4.52 MX$84.8

-12.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$16.00 MX$300

-14.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$1.94 MX$36.40

-14.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,290

$3.84 MX$71.9

-41.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,770

$0.68 MX$12.70

72.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$30.56 MX$573

153.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$1.92 MX$36.05

-33.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,611

$0.49 MX$9.15

318.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$5.51 MX$103

55.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,348

$1.43 MX$26.80

-5.59%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$21.3K MX$399.4K

59.83%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$23.2K MX$434.2K

49.62%

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

$170 COP 547.7K

$56.3 MX$1,054

201.49%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$26.84 MX$503

-49.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$23.91 MX$448

17.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$25.75 MX$483

69.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$10.64 MX$199

61.56%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$6.48 MX$121

6.64%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$265 MX$4,969

200.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$4,979 MX$93.3K

82.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$58.2 MX$1,090

45.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.1K

$44.37 MX$831

30.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.7K

$99.2 MX$1,859

36.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$96.3 MX$1,804

1.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$239 MX$4,479

405.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$134 MX$2,514

378.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$665 MX$12.5K

205.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$430 MX$8,060

135.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$768 MX$14.4K

442.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$751 MX$14.1K

154.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$548 MX$10.3K

19.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.35

-3.61%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ecatepec: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Ecatepec

$134 14.3% 79.1% $507

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Ecatepec

$296 31.5% 0.2% $0.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Ecatepec

$107 11.4% 49.3% $104

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Ecatepec

$193 20.5% 13.5% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Ecatepec

$134 14.3% 20.6% $35

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Ecatepec

$38 4% 59.8% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Ecatepec

$39 4.1% 32.7% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $239 in Ecatepec. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 20% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $49 in Ecatepec. Groceries tell a different story – $297 in Medellin vs $296 in Ecatepec – so Ecatepec wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇲🇽 Ecatepec

🕒 Local time

18:04 6:04 PM

17:04 5:04 PM

1 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

1,645,352

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

100 MXN = 5.34 USD

100 MXN = 4.76 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,619 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 21 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Ecatepec 2,940 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Ecatepec

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 Ecatepec: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,639 in Medellin, $941 in Ecatepec – Ecatepec comes out roughly 43% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,411 in Ecatepec. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ecatepec, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $239 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $49 in Ecatepec. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 61% less in Ecatepec. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Ecatepec, where all-in costs run around $941, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Ecatepec it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ecatepec – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Ecatepec. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.