Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Lazaro Cardenas Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Lazaro Cardenas

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,089 in Lazaro Cardenas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,741 in Lazaro Cardenas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $2,394 in Lazaro Cardenas.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 7% less than in Lazaro Cardenas, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Lazaro Cardenas 19% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.5K

$10.61 MX$185

-43.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 118.1K

$38.39 MX$671

-14.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.5K

$7.84 MX$137

-9.57%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,154

$3.40 MX$59.3

-49.71%

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

$1.10 COP 3,949

$1.25 MX$21.76

-12.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,798

$0.91 MX$15.88

-14.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 6,035

$2.43 MX$42.43

-30.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$3.83 MX$66.9

-19.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,930

$1.49 MX$26.11

-26.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,536

$2.58 MX$45.07

-51.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,953

$1.63 MX$28.42

-15.34%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,876

$2.34 MX$40.82

-6.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.8K

$7.99 MX$140

-44.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.2K

$7.71 MX$135

-26.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 32.0K

$10.55 MX$184

-15.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,401

$2.61 MX$45.51

-10.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,801

$1.44 MX$25.22

-26.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,408

$1.77 MX$30.98

-15.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,955

$1.59 MX$27.70

-13.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,137

$1.91 MX$33.42

-39.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,181

$2.01 MX$35.16

-42.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,202

$1.20 MX$21.03

-25.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 3,016

$0.98 MX$17.11

-14.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,196

$4.26 MX$74.4

-46.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.2K

$10.78 MX$188

-1.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,311

$1.62 MX$28.31

-25.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,880

$2.82 MX$49.26

-12.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,075

$0.62 MX$10.82

38.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 148.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,297

$2.55 MX$44.49

-42.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,053

$1.54 MX$26.93

27.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.8K

$8.47 MX$148

-8.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,430

$1.30 MX$22.77

-26.92%

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

$18.1K COP 65.2M

$21.5K MX$375.2K

-15.61%

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

$26.5K COP 95.2M

$22.7K MX$397.0K

16.53%

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

$82.3 COP 295.6K

$55.6 MX$971

47.88%

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

$9.50 COP 34.1K

$22.43 MX$392

-57.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 87.1K

$28.07 MX$490

-13.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 93.0K

$35.67 MX$623

-27.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 68.3K

$15.67 MX$274

21.25%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.1K

$4.70 MX$82.1

-16.38%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$207 MX$3,611

49.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.4M

$3,582 MX$62.6K

66.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 210.8K

$52.5 MX$917

11.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 116.2K

$39.83 MX$696

-18.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 368.7K

$90.9 MX$1,587

12.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 389.6K

$80.1 MX$1,398

35.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$505 MX$8,812

-5.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$399 MX$6,972

-5.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$949 MX$16.6K

-11.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$773 MX$13.5K

-6.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

$1,972 MX$34.4K

41.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.4M

$1,271 MX$22.2K

-4.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$582 MX$10.2K

-12.02%

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 Lazaro Cardenas: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $505 in Lazaro Cardenas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lazaro Cardenas pays 14% 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 $38.00 in Lazaro Cardenas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $249 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 Lazaro Cardenas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Lazaro Cardenas. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Lazaro Cardenas earns 14% 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 $505 in Lazaro Cardenas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $207 in Lazaro Cardenas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $38.00 in Lazaro Cardenas. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,089 in Lazaro Cardenas, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Lazaro Cardenas. 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 8% less than in Lazaro Cardenas. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.