Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Lazaro Cardenas

For one person, living is cheaper in Lazaro Cardenas: $1,141 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Lazaro Cardenas
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Lazaro Cardenas Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Lazaro Cardenas

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,141

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Lazaro Cardenas

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Lazaro Cardenas actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,625 in Medellin versus $1,141 in Lazaro Cardenas.

Medellin $1,625
Lazaro Cardenas $1,141

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,412 in Medellin versus $1,839 in Lazaro Cardenas.

Medellin $2,412
Lazaro Cardenas $1,839

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,199 in Medellin versus $2,537 in Lazaro Cardenas.

Medellin $3,199
Lazaro Cardenas $2,537

Living in Medellin is roughly 42% more expensive than in Lazaro Cardenas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Lazaro Cardenas is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.1K

$10.83 MX$203

-23.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 147.5K

$43.66 MX$817

7.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.1K

$8.70 MX$163

6.21%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,596

$3.61 MX$67.6

-15.51%

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

$1.80 COP 5,659

$1.42 MX$26.59

26.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,345

$1.03 MX$19.24

33.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.2K

$2.51 MX$46.92

29.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.5K

$3.99 MX$74.7

39.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,720

$1.66 MX$31.06

-9.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,445

$2.53 MX$47.41

-6.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,332

$1.67 MX$31.19

1.80%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,301

$2.43 MX$45.51

21.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.1K

$8.19 MX$153

24.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.6K

$8.49 MX$159

14.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 43.7K

$11.33 MX$212

22.68%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.0K

$2.67 MX$49.98

54.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,799

$1.59 MX$29.74

-3.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 6,993

$1.90 MX$35.65

16.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,135

$1.83 MX$34.27

24.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,258

$1.93 MX$36.05

3.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,241

$1.80 MX$33.61

-7.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,711

$1.48 MX$27.75

-20.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,886

$1.08 MX$20.23

14.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.2K

$4.32 MX$80.8

-10.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.3K

$10.32 MX$193

33.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,212

$1.76 MX$32.88

-5.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,552

$3.20 MX$59.8

-25.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,911

$0.69 MX$12.92

79.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 245.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,011

$2.53 MX$47.26

-49.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,747

$1.92 MX$35.92

11.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.3K

$11.01 MX$206

-23.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,252

$1.48 MX$27.62

-8.78%

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

$34.8K COP 109.3M

$21.1K MX$395.7K

64.43%

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

$23.8K MX$445.7K

45.66%

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

$167 COP 524.0K

$58.7 MX$1,099

183.80%

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

$13.62 COP 42.8K

$22.31 MX$417

-38.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 91.6K

$29.94 MX$560

-2.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 141.8K

$34.30 MX$642

31.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.0K

$20.49 MX$384

-16.15%

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 21.9K

$5.11 MX$95.7

36.40%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$221 MX$4,141

257.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.4M

$4,553 MX$85.2K

98.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 276.1K

$55.3 MX$1,035

58.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 182.8K

$39.96 MX$748

45.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 437.0K

$99.7 MX$1,867

39.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 310.9K

$90.1 MX$1,687

9.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.2M

$602 MX$11.3K

70.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 1.9M

$393 MX$7,352

57.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 5.9M

$1,055 MX$19.8K

78.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$780 MX$14.6K

29.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.5M

$1,921 MX$36.0K

107.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$1,169 MX$21.9K

45.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$552 MX$10.3K

20.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.3

-3.19%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Lazaro Cardenas: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Lazaro Cardenas

$393 34.4% 36.6% $227

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Lazaro Cardenas

$263 23.1% 11.7% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Lazaro Cardenas

$111 9.7% 47% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Lazaro Cardenas

$128 11.3% 25.7% $44

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Lazaro Cardenas

$186 16.3% 9.1% $16

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Lazaro Cardenas

$15 * 1.3% 84.4% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Lazaro Cardenas

$45 3.9% 24.6% $15

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,028 in Medellin and $602 in Lazaro Cardenas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 20% 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: $47 in Medellin vs $44 in Lazaro Cardenas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $263 per month, with Lazaro Cardenas cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇲🇽 Lazaro Cardenas

🕒 Local time

04:16 4:16 AM

03:16 3:16 AM

1 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

83,637

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.83 EUR

100 MXN = 5.34 USD

100 MXN = 4.76 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 3,144 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,528 COP (10,000 COP = 2.83 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 18.72 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 21 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Lazaro Cardenas 3,160 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Lazaro Cardenas

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Lazaro Cardenas wins on cost – living expenses run 30% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Lazaro Cardenas the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 20% 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: $1,028 in Medellin versus $602 in Lazaro Cardenas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $790 in Medellin versus $221 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 Lazaro Cardenas – a meal for two runs $44 versus $47 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Lazaro Cardenas is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Lazaro Cardenas wins on affordability, Medellin on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.