Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ecatepec Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ecatepec

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,681 per month in Medellin vs $1,033 in Ecatepec, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,445 per month in Medellin vs $1,820 in Ecatepec, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,210 per month in Medellin vs $2,607 in Ecatepec, rent included.

Medellin costs about 63% more than Ecatepec, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Medellin sits 23% above the global median, while Ecatepec is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.3K

$14.71 MX$252

-45.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 151.0K

$46.48 MX$798

2.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.2K

$11.01 MX$189

-10.17%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,873

$4.05 MX$69.5

-22.72%

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

$1.91 COP 6,019

$1.67 MX$28.70

14.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,763

$1.13 MX$19.44

33.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,853

$3.53 MX$60.7

-11.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$5.85 MX$100

-1.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,558

$1.58 MX$27.07

-8.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,843

$3.23 MX$55.5

-22.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,595

$1.92 MX$32.97

-7.81%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,336

$2.88 MX$49.49

2.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.8K

$8.83 MX$152

14.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.9K

$10.32 MX$177

-1.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.1K

$16.07 MX$276

-11.01%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.0K

$3.44 MX$59.0

20.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,073

$1.77 MX$30.31

-9.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,083

$2.09 MX$35.96

7.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,104

$2.47 MX$42.39

-8.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,444

$2.16 MX$37.02

-5.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,842

$1.93 MX$33.07

-20.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,691

$1.20 MX$20.61

-2.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,121

$1.42 MX$24.36

-7.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.3K

$4.75 MX$81.5

-17.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.2K

$17.21 MX$295

-18.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,498

$2.06 MX$35.29

-15.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,053

$4.05 MX$69.5

-29.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,834

$0.73 MX$12.46

67.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 253.9K

$32.63 MX$560

146.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,129

$2.05 MX$35.23

-36.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,899

$0.56 MX$9.58

291.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.5K

$5.85 MX$100

48.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,306

$1.58 MX$27.06

-13.29%

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

$27.8K COP 87.8M

$22.5K MX$386.4K

23.66%

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

$35.8K COP 112.8M

$25.2K MX$432.7K

41.92%

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

$177 COP 559.3K

$44.28 MX$760

300.41%

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

$13.88 COP 43.8K

$16.83 MX$289

-17.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 93.8K

$36.52 MX$627

-18.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 141.6K

$27.85 MX$478

61.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.0K

$11.79 MX$202

45.21%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.0K

$6.95 MX$119

-4.32%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$377 MX$6,469

115.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.0M

$5,149 MX$88.4K

78.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 282.3K

$70.6 MX$1,212

26.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 186.0K

$55.4 MX$952

6.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 435.9K

$114 MX$1,962

20.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 322.1K

$121 MX$2,077

-15.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$262 MX$4,497

305.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$146 MX$2,512

353.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$743 MX$12.7K

154.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$475 MX$8,155

116.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.2M

$813 MX$13.9K

414.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$820 MX$14.1K

104.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$585 MX$10.0K

15.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.3

-3.19%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Ecatepec: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,062 in Medellin versus $262 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 16% 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $46.00 in Ecatepec. Groceries tell a different story – $305 in Medellin vs $327 in Ecatepec – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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: $1,681 in Medellin, $1,033 in Ecatepec – roughly 63% apart. Medellin costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,521 per month in Medellin and $1,549 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin and $46.00 in Ecatepec. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,681 in Medellin and $1,033 in Ecatepec. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Ecatepec, where all-in costs run around $1,033, than in Medellin at $1,681. In Ecatepec it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,033 in Ecatepec to $1,681 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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