Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Guanajuato Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Guanajuato

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,134 in Guanajuato.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,738 in Guanajuato.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $2,341 in Guanajuato.

Living in Medellin is roughly 48% more expensive than in Guanajuato, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Guanajuato is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.3K

$14.33 MX$246

-44.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 151.0K

$49.94 MX$857

-4.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.2K

$7.77 MX$133

27.28%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,873

$4.11 MX$70.6

-23.84%

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

$1.91 COP 6,019

$1.76 MX$30.26

8.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,763

$1.07 MX$18.39

41.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,853

$2.89 MX$49.61

7.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$5.34 MX$91.6

7.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,558

$1.66 MX$28.55

-13.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,843

$2.79 MX$47.83

-10.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,595

$1.58 MX$27.10

12.03%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,336

$2.58 MX$44.34

14.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.8K

$4.97 MX$85.3

102.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.9K

$10.33 MX$177

-2.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.1K

$12.56 MX$216

13.85%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.0K

$2.88 MX$49.50

43.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,073

$1.75 MX$29.98

-8.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,083

$2.11 MX$36.15

6.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,104

$1.73 MX$29.63

30.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,444

$2.09 MX$35.81

-2.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,842

$1.93 MX$33.13

-20.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,691

$1.53 MX$26.34

-23.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,121

$1.16 MX$19.93

12.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.3K

$4.89 MX$83.9

-20.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.2K

$11.52 MX$198

21.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,498

$1.92 MX$32.92

-9.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,053

$3.50 MX$60.1

-18.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,834

$0.62 MX$10.60

96.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 253.9K

$29.47 MX$506

173.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,129

$2.35 MX$40.30

-44.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,899

$1.43 MX$24.53

53.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.5K

$9.06 MX$156

-3.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,306

$1.51 MX$25.96

-9.27%

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

$27.8K COP 87.8M

$21.3K MX$365.3K

30.81%

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

$35.8K COP 112.8M

$25.3K MX$434.8K

41.23%

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

$177 COP 559.3K

$53.1 MX$911

234.09%

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

$13.88 COP 43.8K

$21.23 MX$364

-34.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 93.8K

$30.10 MX$517

-1.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 141.6K

$32.64 MX$560

37.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.0K

$29.39 MX$504

-41.75%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.0K

$6.86 MX$118

-3.06%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$217 MX$3,729

274.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.0M

$6,028 MX$103.5K

52.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 282.3K

$61.9 MX$1,062

44.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 186.0K

$38.68 MX$664

52.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 435.9K

$80.9 MX$1,388

70.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 322.1K

$60.4 MX$1,036

69.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$547 MX$9,393

94.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$322 MX$5,522

106.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$826 MX$14.2K

128.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$411 MX$7,055

149.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.2M

$1,413 MX$24.2K

196.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$1,148 MX$19.7K

45.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$752 MX$12.9K

-9.85%

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 Guanajuato: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $547 in Guanajuato. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Guanajuato pays 11% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $50.0 in Guanajuato. Groceries flip the comparison at $305 vs $277, with Guanajuato cheaper for home cooking.

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 Guanajuato: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Guanajuato wins on cost – living expenses run 48% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Guanajuato the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 11% lower in Guanajuato. 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $547 in Guanajuato. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Guanajuato – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,134 in Guanajuato versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Guanajuato but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Guanajuato the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Guanajuato delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,134 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Guanajuato hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Guanajuato 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 Guanajuato gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.