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: $1,716 in Medellin versus $1,243 in Lazaro Cardenas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,527 in Medellin versus $1,952 in Lazaro Cardenas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,338 in Medellin versus $2,660 in Lazaro Cardenas.

Living in Medellin is roughly 38% more expensive than in Lazaro Cardenas, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Lazaro Cardenas is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.1K

$11.78 MX$199

-31.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 150.8K

$47.14 MX$796

2.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.5K

$8.89 MX$150

9.90%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,095

$3.78 MX$63.8

-23.02%

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

$1.94 COP 6,074

$1.45 MX$24.51

33.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,754

$1.14 MX$19.22

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,663

$2.96 MX$49.98

4.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 17.9K

$4.38 MX$73.9

31.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,262

$1.70 MX$28.71

-20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,460

$2.92 MX$49.35

-18.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,314

$1.78 MX$30.11

-4.49%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 8,967

$2.63 MX$44.31

9.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.1K

$8.63 MX$146

15.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.7K

$8.02 MX$135

34.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.0K

$12.55 MX$212

17.37%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$2.97 MX$50.2

37.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,911

$1.61 MX$27.20

-2.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,642

$2.00 MX$33.73

6.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,917

$1.88 MX$31.80

17.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,396

$2.10 MX$35.44

-2.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,700

$1.90 MX$32.04

-21.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,718

$1.48 MX$24.91

-19.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,619

$1.21 MX$20.38

-4.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$4.59 MX$77.5

-15.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.1K

$11.42 MX$193

26.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,948

$1.95 MX$32.92

-18.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,836

$3.48 MX$58.7

-18.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,650

$0.74 MX$12.52

58.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 242.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,014

$2.78 MX$46.92

-53.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,537

$2.09 MX$35.25

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 26.9K

$11.69 MX$197

-26.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,056

$1.55 MX$26.23

-16.13%

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

$27.7K COP 86.4M

$23.0K MX$389.0K

20.00%

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

$35.5K COP 110.9M

$26.1K MX$441.2K

35.83%

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

$176 COP 550.1K

$62.4 MX$1,054

182.03%

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

$13.37 COP 41.8K

$23.98 MX$405

-44.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 93.4K

$32.04 MX$541

-6.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 139.8K

$36.23 MX$611

23.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.3K

$21.74 MX$367

-21.53%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.4K

$5.51 MX$92.9

12.52%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$250 MX$4,215

217.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.2M

$4,912 MX$82.9K

83.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 267.5K

$57.9 MX$977

47.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 182.7K

$45.58 MX$769

28.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 425.9K

$111 MX$1,867

23.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 322.2K

$93.1 MX$1,572

10.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$643 MX$10.9K

64.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$418 MX$7,054

62.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$1,098 MX$18.5K

83.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$810 MX$13.7K

44.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.8M

$2,007 MX$33.9K

104.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$1,247 MX$21.0K

36.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

$594 MX$10.0K

11.99%

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: August 30, 2026

Last update for Lazaro Cardenas: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,060 in Medellin and $643 in Lazaro Cardenas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 12% 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: $48.00 in Medellin vs $47.00 in Lazaro Cardenas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $280 per month, with Lazaro Cardenas 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

Lazaro Cardenas wins on cost – living expenses run 38% 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 12% 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: $1,060 in Medellin versus $643 in Lazaro Cardenas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $793 in Medellin versus $250 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 $47.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,243 in Lazaro Cardenas versus $1,716 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Lazaro Cardenas but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Lazaro Cardenas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lazaro Cardenas delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,243 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lazaro Cardenas hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Lazaro Cardenas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.