Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Los Cabos Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Los Cabos

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,419 in Los Cabos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $2,325 in Los Cabos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $3,232 in Los Cabos.

Living in Medellin is roughly 18% more expensive than in Los Cabos, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 23% above, Los Cabos 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.4K

$24.08 MX$415

-66.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 152.0K

$46.22 MX$796

3.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.4K

$13.68 MX$236

-27.70%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,937

$5.30 MX$91.3

-40.94%

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

$1.91 COP 6,058

$2.43 MX$41.88

-21.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,794

$2.11 MX$36.37

-28.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,917

$5.04 MX$86.7

-38.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.3K

$8.87 MX$153

-35.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,587

$1.70 MX$29.34

-15.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,894

$3.14 MX$54.0

-20.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,631

$2.42 MX$41.71

-26.86%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,396

$2.45 MX$42.26

20.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 32.0K

$9.68 MX$167

4.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 32.1K

$10.35 MX$178

-2.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.4K

$18.88 MX$325

-24.26%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.1K

$4.44 MX$76.4

-6.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,106

$1.80 MX$31.04

-10.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,129

$3.00 MX$51.6

-25.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,150

$2.67 MX$45.99

-15.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,486

$2.50 MX$42.98

-18.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,873

$2.70 MX$46.53

-42.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,715

$1.40 MX$24.09

-16.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,148

$0.91 MX$15.61

43.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.4K

$4.77 MX$82.1

-18.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.5K

$11.54 MX$199

21.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,534

$1.66 MX$28.54

4.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,112

$3.27 MX$56.3

-12.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,858

$0.72 MX$12.33

69.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 255.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,155

$2.83 MX$48.72

-53.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,944

$2.16 MX$37.12

1.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.7K

$11.23 MX$193

-22.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,334

$1.52 MX$26.20

-9.87%

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

$27.8K COP 88.4M

$22.6K MX$390.0K

22.91%

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

$35.8K COP 113.6M

$25.7K MX$443.0K

39.05%

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

$177 COP 562.9K

$62.7 MX$1,080

182.73%

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

$13.88 COP 44.1K

$29.37 MX$506

-52.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 94.4K

$26.32 MX$453

12.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 142.5K

$37.04 MX$638

21.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.4K

$21.47 MX$370

-20.26%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.1K

$4.71 MX$81.1

41.19%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$242 MX$4,165

236.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.2M

$4,816 MX$82.9K

90.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 284.1K

$98.6 MX$1,698

-9.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 187.2K

$44.45 MX$765

32.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 438.8K

$132 MX$2,271

4.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 324.2K

$93.5 MX$1,609

9.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.4M

$656 MX$11.3K

61.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$421 MX$7,250

57.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$1,117 MX$19.2K

69.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.3M

$820 MX$14.1K

25.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.3M

$1,923 MX$33.1K

117.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$1,223 MX$21.1K

36.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.2M

$878 MX$15.1K

-22.78%

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: September 14, 2026

Last update for Los Cabos: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $656 in Los Cabos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Los Cabos pays 30% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $46.00 in Los Cabos. Groceries flip the comparison at $305 vs $331, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.

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 cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 30% lower in Los Cabos. 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $656 in Los Cabos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,681 per month in Medellin versus $1,419 in Los Cabos – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,419 in Los Cabos versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Los Cabos but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Los Cabos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Los Cabos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.