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: $1,018 in Medellin versus $1,116 in Lazaro Cardenas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,609 in Medellin versus $1,760 in Lazaro Cardenas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,200 in Medellin versus $2,403 in Lazaro Cardenas.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 9% less than in Lazaro Cardenas, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Lazaro Cardenas 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.93 COP 19.0K

$10.41 MX$181

-43.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.12 COP 106.0K

$39.29 MX$684

-15.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.12 COP 22.8K

$8.06 MX$140

-11.66%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 5,457

$3.35 MX$58.2

-48.96%

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

$1.05 COP 3,356

$1.23 MX$21.49

-14.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,311

$0.96 MX$16.79

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,502

$2.39 MX$41.59

-28.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.2K

$3.99 MX$69.4

-20.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,408

$1.45 MX$25.19

-26.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,192

$2.55 MX$44.43

-48.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 COP 4,256

$1.61 MX$28.01

-17.39%

Eggs

$2.28 COP 7,298

$2.40 MX$41.82

-5.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.42 COP 14.1K

$8.06 MX$140

-45.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.92 COP 18.9K

$8.05 MX$140

-26.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 27.7K

$10.66 MX$185

-18.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 7,504

$2.57 MX$44.73

-8.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 COP 3,527

$1.43 MX$24.92

-23.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 COP 4,698

$1.77 MX$30.72

-16.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,415

$1.59 MX$27.75

-13.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,754

$1.91 MX$33.16

-38.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,744

$2.01 MX$34.96

-41.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,890

$1.26 MX$21.84

-28.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,693

$0.99 MX$17.17

-15.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 7,449

$4.16 MX$72.4

-43.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.92 COP 38.1K

$11.08 MX$193

7.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 COP 3,673

$1.56 MX$27.23

-26.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 COP 7,749

$2.81 MX$48.95

-13.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,687

$0.65 MX$11.37

29.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 130.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,517

$2.65 MX$46.06

-46.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,127

$1.60 MX$27.87

19.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.83 COP 25.0K

$8.07 MX$140

-2.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,020

$1.27 MX$22.01

-25.98%

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

$17.8K COP 57.0M

$21.4K MX$371.6K

-16.56%

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

$27.1K COP 86.7M

$22.0K MX$383.4K

22.91%

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

$83.3 COP 266.4K

$55.8 MX$971

49.18%

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

$9.66 COP 30.9K

$22.27 MX$388

-56.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.22 COP 77.5K

$27.79 MX$484

-12.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.22 COP 80.7K

$36.16 MX$629

-30.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.33 COP 61.9K

$15.72 MX$274

22.96%

Cinema Ticket

$4.07 COP 13.0K

$4.59 MX$79.9

-11.33%

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

$307 COP 981.2K

$209 MX$3,645

46.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,981 COP 19.1M

$3,642 MX$63.4K

64.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 191.9K

$52.3 MX$909

14.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.65 COP 104.5K

$40.37 MX$702

-19.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 323.5K

$88.1 MX$1,533

14.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 345.7K

$78.8 MX$1,372

37.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.5M

$505 MX$8,795

-5.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.2M

$400 MX$6,956

-5.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$816 COP 2.6M

$917 MX$16.0K

-10.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$707 COP 2.3M

$748 MX$13.0K

-5.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,190 COP 10.2M

$1,901 MX$33.1K

67.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,446 COP 4.6M

$1,235 MX$21.5K

17.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$622 COP 2.0M

$581 MX$10.1K

6.95%

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Lazaro Cardenas: July 21, 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.

Medellin pays 7% 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 $39.00 in Lazaro Cardenas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $192 vs $251 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 10% 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.

Average pay runs 7% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

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 $307 in Medellin versus $209 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 $39.00 in Lazaro Cardenas. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,018 in Medellin versus $1,116 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 $1,018 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 10% less than in Lazaro Cardenas. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.