Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Isla Mujeres Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Isla Mujeres

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,114 in Isla Mujeres.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,772 in Isla Mujeres.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $2,429 in Isla Mujeres.

Living in Medellin is roughly 51% more expensive than in Isla Mujeres, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Isla Mujeres is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.5K

$10.42 MX$180

-23.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 152.0K

$38.22 MX$658

25.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.4K

$7.86 MX$135

25.83%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,941

$3.24 MX$55.9

-3.40%

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

$1.91 COP 6,061

$1.27 MX$21.95

50.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,796

$0.98 MX$16.93

54.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,921

$2.24 MX$38.51

39.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.3K

$3.83 MX$66.0

50.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,590

$1.44 MX$24.87

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,898

$2.63 MX$45.30

-5.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,634

$1.63 MX$28.08

8.59%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,400

$2.38 MX$40.94

24.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 32.0K

$7.82 MX$135

28.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 32.1K

$7.97 MX$137

26.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.4K

$10.59 MX$182

35.03%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.1K

$2.66 MX$45.90

55.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,109

$1.41 MX$24.28

14.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,132

$1.71 MX$29.37

31.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,154

$1.69 MX$29.10

33.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,489

$1.85 MX$31.84

10.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,876

$2.00 MX$34.46

-23.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,716

$1.26 MX$21.79

-7.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,150

$1.01 MX$17.47

29.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.4K

$4.30 MX$74.0

-9.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.5K

$10.95 MX$189

27.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,536

$1.54 MX$26.47

12.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,116

$2.77 MX$47.74

3.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,860

$0.62 MX$10.64

96.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 255.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,157

$2.64 MX$45.40

-50.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,947

$1.61 MX$27.74

36.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.7K

$8.06 MX$139

8.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,336

$1.26 MX$21.78

8.73%

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

$27.8K COP 88.4M

$21.1K MX$362.8K

32.13%

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

$35.8K COP 113.6M

$22.6K MX$388.9K

58.42%

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

$177 COP 563.1K

$57.1 MX$983

210.73%

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

$13.88 COP 44.1K

$22.24 MX$383

-37.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 94.4K

$28.23 MX$486

5.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 142.6K

$37.06 MX$638

21.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.4K

$15.64 MX$269

9.46%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.1K

$4.54 MX$78.1

46.48%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$205 MX$3,529

296.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.2M

$3,564 MX$61.4K

157.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 284.3K

$53.6 MX$923

67.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 187.3K

$39.48 MX$680

49.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 439.0K

$91.0 MX$1,568

51.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 324.4K

$79.3 MX$1,365

28.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.4M

$503 MX$8,669

111.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$399 MX$6,881

65.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$933 MX$16.1K

102.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.3M

$760 MX$13.1K

35.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.3M

$1,735 MX$29.9K

141.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$1,157 MX$19.9K

44.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.2M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.48

-4.70%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Isla Mujeres: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $503 in Isla Mujeres. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $38.00 in Isla Mujeres for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $251 per month, with Isla Mujeres 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 Isla Mujeres: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Isla Mujeres differ by about 51% in total monthly costs ($1,681 vs $1,114 including rent). Isla Mujeres is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,521 in Medellin and $1,672 in Isla Mujeres to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,062 in Medellin versus $503 in Isla Mujeres. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,681 per month in Medellin versus $1,114 in Isla Mujeres – a 51% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,114 in Isla Mujeres versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Isla Mujeres but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Isla Mujeres the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Isla Mujeres 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 Isla Mujeres gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.