Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Guadalajara Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Guadalajara

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,157 in Guadalajara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,844 in Guadalajara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $2,530 in Guadalajara.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 12% less than in Guadalajara, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Guadalajara 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$10.46 MX$181

-42.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.2K

$38.85 MX$673

-15.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$7.99 MX$139

-11.26%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,105

$3.19 MX$55.2

-46.39%

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

$1.10 COP 3,918

$1.38 MX$23.99

-20.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,776

$0.93 MX$16.15

-16.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,987

$2.10 MX$36.45

-20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 10.9K

$3.89 MX$67.4

-21.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,899

$1.40 MX$24.29

-22.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,500

$2.65 MX$45.84

-52.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,914

$1.66 MX$28.85

-16.87%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,813

$2.51 MX$43.52

-12.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$9.63 MX$167

-54.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$7.67 MX$133

-26.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.7K

$10.37 MX$180

-14.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,334

$2.65 MX$45.85

-11.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,771

$1.45 MX$25.21

-26.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,365

$1.80 MX$31.25

-16.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,915

$1.56 MX$27.11

-11.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,104

$1.80 MX$31.18

-36.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,148

$2.01 MX$34.79

-42.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,176

$1.34 MX$23.17

-33.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,992

$1.08 MX$18.64

-22.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,131

$4.40 MX$76.2

-48.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 37.9K

$11.22 MX$195

-5.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,276

$1.62 MX$28.05

-25.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,809

$3.22 MX$55.9

-23.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,051

$0.52 MX$8.94

65.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.6K

$26.91 MX$466

53.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,255

$2.71 MX$46.94

-45.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 6,997

$1.59 MX$27.63

23.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$11.68 MX$202

-33.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,403

$1.32 MX$22.87

-28.03%

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

$18.1K COP 64.6M

$24.2K MX$419.0K

-25.01%

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

$26.5K COP 94.4M

$23.7K MX$410.4K

11.84%

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

$82.3 COP 293.2K

$31.32 MX$543

162.61%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$24.53 MX$425

-61.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.4K

$27.53 MX$477

-11.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.3K

$33.01 MX$572

-21.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.7K

$19.54 MX$339

-2.76%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$5.03 MX$87.2

-21.87%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$187 MX$3,234

65.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$6,425 MX$111.3K

-7.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.1K

$49.73 MX$862

17.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.3K

$50.8 MX$879

-36.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 365.7K

$98.5 MX$1,706

4.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 386.5K

$90.9 MX$1,575

19.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$706 MX$12.2K

-32.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$438 MX$7,590

-13.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$1,355 MX$23.5K

-38.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$842 MX$14.6K

-14.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

$3,208 MX$55.6K

-13.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$1,998 MX$34.6K

-39.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$797 MX$13.8K

-35.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

11.48

16.99%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Guadalajara: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $706 in Guadalajara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Guadalajara pays 56% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $39.00 in Guadalajara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $257 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 Guadalajara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Guadalajara. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Guadalajara earns 56% 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: $476 in Medellin versus $706 in Guadalajara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 36% higher in Guadalajara. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $39.00 in Guadalajara. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,157 in Guadalajara, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Guadalajara. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,013 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Guadalajara. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.