Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Mexico City

For one person, living costs are similar in Medellin and in Mexico City: $1,625 and $1,548 a month, rent and utilities included.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
75

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,548

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Mexico City

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 Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,625 per month in Medellin vs $1,548 in Mexico City, rent included.

Medellin $1,625
Mexico City $1,548

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Medellin vs $2,436 in Mexico City, rent included.

Medellin $2,412
Mexico City $2,436

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Medellin vs $3,323 in Mexico City, rent included.

Medellin $3,199
Mexico City $3,323

Medellin costs about 5% more than Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Medellin and Mexico City sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Mexico City by 14%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$11.02 MX$204

-24.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$48.68 MX$900

-3.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$10.90 MX$201

-15.23%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$3.68 MX$68.1

-17.12%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$1.63 MX$30.18

10.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$1.25 MX$23.07

10.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$3.25 MX$60.1

-0.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$5.53 MX$102

0.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$1.70 MX$31.50

-11.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$3.02 MX$55.8

-21.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$1.92 MX$35.53

-11.46%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$2.73 MX$50.5

8.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$11.77 MX$218

-13.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$9.53 MX$176

2.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$14.41 MX$266

-3.54%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$3.02 MX$55.8

36.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$1.89 MX$35.01

-19.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$1.99 MX$36.70

11.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$2.19 MX$40.38

3.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$1.92 MX$35.43

3.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$1.87 MX$34.49

-10.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$1.44 MX$26.62

-18.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$1.27 MX$23.39

-2.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$5.22 MX$96.4

-25.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

$16.17 MX$299

-14.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$1.90 MX$35.03

-12.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$4.22 MX$78.0

-43.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

$0.34 MX$6.30

264.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

$19.65 MX$363

298.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

$2.00 MX$36.90

-36.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

$0.52 MX$9.67

313.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

$5.34 MX$98.7

56.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$1.52 MX$28.13

-11.18%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

$22.1K MX$408.0K

57.46%

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

$24.5K MX$452.9K

41.51%

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$61.1 MX$1,129

172.88%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$28.58 MX$528

-52.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$34.47 MX$637

-15.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

$56.4 MX$1,042

-20.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

$24.88 MX$460

-30.95%

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

$6.66 MX$123

4.65%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$427 MX$7,891

85.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

$11.6K MX$215.0K

-22.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$67.8 MX$1,253

29.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$52.0 MX$960

11.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$106 MX$1,959

31.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$113 MX$2,080

-12.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$1,025 MX$18.9K

0.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$654 MX$12.1K

-5.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$2,308 MX$42.7K

-18.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$1,242 MX$22.9K

-18.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

$3,613 MX$66.8K

10.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$1,936 MX$35.8K

-12.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$964 MX$17.8K

-31.19%

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 Mexico City: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Mexico City

$654 42.3% 5.6% $35

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Mexico City

$318 20.6% 6.8% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Mexico City

$124 8% 40.7% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Mexico City

$152 9.8% 11.9% $20

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Mexico City

$204 13.2% 19.3% $33

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Mexico City

$26 1.7% 73.1% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 18.1% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $1,025 in Mexico City. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 45% higher in Mexico City, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin versus $49.00 in Mexico City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $298 vs $318 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

04:44 4:44 AM

03:44 3:44 AM

1 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 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 21, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Medellin Mexico City 2,930 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Mexico City

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 Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 5%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,437 per month in Medellin and $2,322 in Mexico City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mexico City, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin and $49.00 in Mexico City. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,625 in Medellin and $1,548 in Mexico City. That's a gap of about 5%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mexico City, where all-in costs run around $1,548, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Mexico City it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mexico City – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Mexico City. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.