Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Los Cabos

For one person, living is cheaper in Los Cabos: $1,428 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Medellin outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
68

Cost of Living Index in Los Cabos
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Los Cabos Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Los Cabos

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,428

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Los Cabos

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 Los Cabos actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,692 in Medellin versus $1,428 in Los Cabos.

Medellin $1,692
Los Cabos $1,428

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,471 in Medellin versus $2,242 in Los Cabos.

Medellin $2,471
Los Cabos $2,242

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,249 in Medellin versus $3,056 in Los Cabos.

Medellin $3,249
Los Cabos $3,056

Living in Medellin is roughly 18% more expensive than in Los Cabos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 25% above, Los Cabos 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 27.0K

$21.85 MX$407

-61.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.9K

$43.11 MX$802

7.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.7K

$13.70 MX$255

-30.88%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.2K

$4.97 MX$92.5

-37.02%

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

$1.77 COP 5,727

$2.33 MX$43.40

-24.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,619

$2.05 MX$38.09

-30.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$5.09 MX$94.8

-38.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.5K

$7.91 MX$147

-27.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,969

$1.57 MX$29.28

-2.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,429

$2.87 MX$53.4

-20.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,306

$2.26 MX$42.15

-14.16%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,942

$2.40 MX$44.61

27.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.4K

$9.15 MX$170

9.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.9K

$9.26 MX$172

12.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.3K

$17.61 MX$328

-20.73%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$4.14 MX$77.1

-2.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,956

$1.74 MX$32.39

-12.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,823

$2.77 MX$51.5

-24.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,437

$2.41 MX$44.83

-4.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,839

$2.29 MX$42.71

-7.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,542

$2.53 MX$47.03

-32.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,794

$1.25 MX$23.20

-6.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,123

$0.84 MX$15.56

88.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.7K

$4.34 MX$80.7

-9.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.5K

$10.33 MX$192

35.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,712

$1.58 MX$29.43

11.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,793

$3.14 MX$58.4

-13.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,825

$1.32 MX$24.63

-10.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 247.4K

$30.58 MX$569

149.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,859

$2.59 MX$48.14

-30.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,904

$1.95 MX$36.29

9.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.4K

$10.58 MX$197

-23.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,135

$1.35 MX$25.20

-5.19%

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

$34.4K COP 111.7M

$23.9K MX$444.9K

44.06%

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

$34.1K COP 110.7M

$23.7K MX$440.8K

44.10%

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

$178 COP 576.3K

$56.4 MX$1,049

215.40%

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

$13.89 COP 45.0K

$26.64 MX$496

-47.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.7K

$24.30 MX$452

26.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 136.0K

$32.29 MX$601

29.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.5K

$19.82 MX$369

-15.24%

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.2K

$4.40 MX$82.0

69.77%

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

$790 COP 2.6M

$211 MX$3,933

273.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.9M

$4,437 MX$82.6K

177.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 279.9K

$92.7 MX$1,725

-6.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 192.2K

$40.62 MX$756

45.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 448.6K

$121 MX$2,253

14.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 320.4K

$87.2 MX$1,622

13.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$585 MX$10.9K

129.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$438 MX$8,152

52.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$1,020 MX$19.0K

93.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$768 MX$14.3K

34.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.3M

$1,923 MX$35.8K

113.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

$1,127 MX$21.0K

72.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

$813 MX$15.1K

-20.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.31

-3.27%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Los Cabos: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Los Cabos

$438 30.7% 34.3% $229

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Los Cabos

$306 21.4% 0.5% $1.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Los Cabos

$107 7.5% 51.7% $115

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Los Cabos

$334 23.4% 93.7% $162

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Los Cabos

$154 10.8% 10.8% $19

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Los Cabos

$48 3.4% 48.4% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Los Cabos

$41 2.9% 27.8% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,341 in Medellin and $585 in Los Cabos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Los Cabos pays 26% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $43 in Los Cabos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $307 vs $306 per month, with Los Cabos cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇲🇽 Los Cabos

🕒 Local time

12:31 12:31 PM

10:31 10:31 AM

2 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

202,694

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.08 USD

10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.79 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 November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,242 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,635 COP (10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.86 MXN (100 MXN = 4.79 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Los Cabos 4,110 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Los Cabos

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 Los Cabos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Los Cabos is about 16% cheaper overall, especially in transport, clothing, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 21% lower in Medellin. 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: $1,341 in Medellin versus $585 in Los Cabos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Los Cabos runs roughly 60% less than in Medellin. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

All in, you’ll spend $1,692 per month in Medellin versus $1,428 in Los Cabos – Los Cabos is about 16% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

For families, Los Cabos is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.