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: $1,017 in Medellin versus $820 in Guanajuato.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,336 in Guanajuato.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,188 in Medellin versus $1,852 in Guanajuato.

Living in Medellin is roughly 24% more expensive than Guanajuato, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Guanajuato 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$8.09 MX$139

-26.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$33.90 MX$582

-1.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$6.41 MX$110

12.79%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$2.18 MX$37.41

-25.23%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$1.29 MX$22.11

-15.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.95 MX$16.36

-23.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$2.59 MX$44.41

-32.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$4.63 MX$79.5

-30.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$1.36 MX$23.39

-22.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$2.28 MX$39.06

-43.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$1.28 MX$22.02

3.13%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$2.02 MX$34.61

12.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$5.63 MX$96.6

-22.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$7.21 MX$124

-18.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$9.14 MX$157

-5.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$2.75 MX$47.24

-18.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$1.48 MX$25.47

-27.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$1.81 MX$31.05

-16.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$1.86 MX$31.99

-23.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$1.92 MX$32.99

-39.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$2.24 MX$38.37

-47.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$1.27 MX$21.86

-29.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$0.98 MX$16.80

-8.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$3.85 MX$66.1

-41.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$6.77 MX$116

63.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$1.72 MX$29.45

-33.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$3.35 MX$57.5

-28.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$0.44 MX$7.53

90.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

$26.24 MX$450

59.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$0.78 MX$13.36

80.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$1.12 MX$19.21

69.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$8.47 MX$145

-8.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$1.31 MX$22.48

-22.90%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$21.5K MX$369.2K

-18.28%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$22.2K MX$380.8K

19.43%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$46.76 MX$803

78.96%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$21.81 MX$374

-56.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$21.44 MX$368

12.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$27.49 MX$472

-7.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

$16.10 MX$276

18.88%

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$4.65 MX$79.8

-11.83%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$187 MX$3,213

66.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$3,465 MX$59.5K

72.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$59.2 MX$1,016

-1.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$36.72 MX$630

-11.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$52.3 MX$897

90.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$57.2 MX$982

89.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$300 MX$5,143

60.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$184 MX$3,156

106.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$678 MX$11.6K

23.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$423 MX$7,259

70.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

$1,431 MX$24.6K

98.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

$1,125 MX$19.3K

8.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

$758 MX$13.0K

-28.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

11.5

16.78%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Last update for Guanajuato: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Medellin and $300 in Guanajuato. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Guanajuato pays 40% 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 $34.00 in Guanajuato for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 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 Guanajuato: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Guanajuato wins on cost – living expenses run 24% 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, Guanajuato earns 40% 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: $482 in Medellin versus $300 in Guanajuato. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 19% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Guanajuato – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $820 in Guanajuato versus $1,017 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 $820 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 24% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.