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: $1,034 in Medellin versus $812 in Guanajuato.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,577 in Medellin versus $1,342 in Guanajuato.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,120 in Medellin versus $1,872 in Guanajuato.

Living in Medellin is roughly 27% more expensive than Guanajuato, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Guanajuato 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$8.22 MX$144

-27.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$32.71 MX$572

0.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$6.42 MX$112

12.15%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$2.15 MX$37.57

-20.93%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$1.25 MX$21.80

-12.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.89 MX$15.55

-19.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$2.60 MX$45.50

-35.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$4.44 MX$77.7

-30.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$1.38 MX$24.17

-23.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$2.27 MX$39.74

-44.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$1.31 MX$22.88

6.11%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$2.02 MX$35.44

11.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$5.53 MX$96.9

-21.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$7.55 MX$132

-22.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$9.34 MX$164

-5.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$2.82 MX$49.42

-20.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$1.42 MX$24.86

-23.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$1.82 MX$31.92

-15.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$1.90 MX$33.33

-27.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$2.00 MX$35.04

-43.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$2.15 MX$37.65

-47.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$1.33 MX$23.30

-36.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$0.94 MX$16.53

-3.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$4.01 MX$70.1

-41.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$6.81 MX$119

63.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$1.66 MX$29.07

-28.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$3.38 MX$59.2

-29.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$0.43 MX$7.60

83.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

$26.04 MX$456

57.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$0.83 MX$14.51

73.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$1.11 MX$19.48

72.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$8.61 MX$151

-6.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$1.30 MX$22.79

-27.69%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$21.2K MX$371.7K

-15.63%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$21.6K MX$377.6K

24.18%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$46.23 MX$809

81.61%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$22.53 MX$394

-57.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$20.84 MX$365

15.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$27.71 MX$485

-6.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

$15.95 MX$279

19.37%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$4.77 MX$83.5

-17.82%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$185 MX$3,242

65.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$3,450 MX$60.4K

71.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$59.0 MX$1,032

-1.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$36.63 MX$641

-13.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$51.9 MX$908

92.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$57.8 MX$1,011

85.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$301 MX$5,264

61.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$186 MX$3,253

97.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$695 MX$12.2K

18.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$419 MX$7,327

71.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$1,396 MX$24.4K

109.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

$1,148 MX$20.1K

22.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

$751 MX$13.1K

-27.39%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Guanajuato: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Medellin and $301 in Guanajuato. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Guanajuato pays 38% 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 $33.00 in Guanajuato for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $227 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 27% 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 38% 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: $487 in Medellin versus $301 in Guanajuato. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 20% 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 $33.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $812 in Guanajuato versus $1,034 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 $812 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 27% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.