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: $1,030 in Medellin versus $1,121 in Lazaro Cardenas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,586 in Medellin versus $1,771 in Lazaro Cardenas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $2,422 in Lazaro Cardenas.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 8% less than in Lazaro Cardenas, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Lazaro Cardenas 16% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.2K

$10.42 MX$181

-43.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.17 COP 118.7K

$38.63 MX$669

-14.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.25 COP 25.9K

$8.03 MX$139

-9.71%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,137

$3.39 MX$58.8

-49.56%

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

$1.09 COP 3,915

$1.28 MX$22.24

-14.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,743

$0.97 MX$16.82

-20.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 COP 6,254

$2.34 MX$40.59

-25.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 11.4K

$3.86 MX$66.9

-17.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,792

$1.44 MX$24.99

-26.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,657

$2.55 MX$44.24

-49.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,926

$1.63 MX$28.16

-15.34%

Eggs

$2.21 COP 7,908

$2.37 MX$41.14

-6.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.52 COP 16.2K

$7.97 MX$138

-43.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 COP 20.7K

$7.73 MX$134

-24.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 32.1K

$10.44 MX$181

-14.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 COP 8,182

$2.67 MX$46.25

-14.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,791

$1.43 MX$24.82

-25.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 COP 5,411

$1.72 MX$29.86

-12.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,869

$1.61 MX$27.83

-15.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,146

$1.85 MX$32.12

-37.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,174

$2.00 MX$34.70

-41.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 COP 2,960

$1.25 MX$21.71

-33.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 COP 3,043

$1.02 MX$17.61

-16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.35 COP 8,423

$4.15 MX$71.9

-43.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.09 COP 39.7K

$10.87 MX$188

2.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 COP 4,133

$1.55 MX$26.88

-25.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,853

$2.83 MX$48.99

-12.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,827

$0.60 MX$10.43

31.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.85 COP 149.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,140

$2.63 MX$45.54

-45.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,793

$1.59 MX$27.62

19.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.70 COP 27.6K

$8.44 MX$146

-8.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 COP 3,680

$1.33 MX$22.98

-22.56%

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

$17.7K COP 63.3M

$21.2K MX$366.9K

-16.49%

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

$27.0K COP 96.7M

$22.9K MX$396.5K

18.07%

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

$81.4 COP 291.4K

$55.5 MX$963

46.60%

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

$9.42 COP 33.7K

$21.88 MX$379

-56.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.77 COP 85.1K

$28.23 MX$489

-15.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.86 COP 92.6K

$35.42 MX$614

-26.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.34 COP 69.2K

$15.85 MX$275

22.02%

Cinema Ticket

$4.05 COP 14.5K

$4.64 MX$80.5

-12.72%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$210 MX$3,646

48.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,067 COP 21.7M

$3,606 MX$62.5K

68.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 COP 210.7K

$53.5 MX$928

9.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.82 COP 117.5K

$39.20 MX$679

-16.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 COP 359.6K

$88.8 MX$1,539

13.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 COP 380.3K

$78.8 MX$1,366

34.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 COP 1.8M

$517 MX$8,966

-5.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 COP 1.3M

$394 MX$6,820

-5.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$949 MX$16.4K

-11.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 COP 2.6M

$749 MX$13.0K

-4.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,952 COP 10.6M

$2,037 MX$35.3K

44.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,394 COP 5.0M

$1,271 MX$22.0K

9.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$532 COP 1.9M

$581 MX$10.1K

-8.36%

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Lazaro Cardenas: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Medellin and $517 in Lazaro Cardenas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lazaro Cardenas pays 9% 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 in Medellin vs $39 in Lazaro Cardenas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 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 9% 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 9% 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: $490 in Medellin versus $517 in Lazaro Cardenas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $312 in Medellin versus $210 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 $1,030 in Medellin versus $1,121 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 $1,030 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 9% less than in Lazaro Cardenas. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.