Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Mexico City Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Mexico City

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,716 per month in Medellin vs $1,646 in Mexico City, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,527 per month in Medellin vs $2,613 in Mexico City, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,338 per month in Medellin vs $3,580 in Mexico City, rent included.

Medellin costs about 4% more than Mexico City, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Medellin and Mexico City sit above the global median – Medellin by 25%, Mexico City by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.1K

$12.11 MX$204

-33.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 150.8K

$52.2 MX$881

-7.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.5K

$10.90 MX$184

-10.37%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,095

$4.05 MX$68.4

-28.15%

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

$1.94 COP 6,074

$1.72 MX$28.95

12.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,754

$1.38 MX$23.25

10.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,663

$3.47 MX$58.5

-10.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 17.9K

$5.81 MX$98.1

-1.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,262

$1.85 MX$31.28

-26.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,460

$3.22 MX$54.4

-25.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,314

$2.09 MX$35.20

-18.66%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 8,967

$2.91 MX$49.10

-1.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.1K

$12.49 MX$211

-20.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.7K

$10.11 MX$171

6.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.0K

$15.89 MX$268

-7.30%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$3.31 MX$56.0

23.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,911

$2.13 MX$35.90

-26.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,642

$2.19 MX$36.97

-2.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,917

$2.45 MX$41.31

-9.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,396

$2.19 MX$36.95

-6.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,700

$1.90 MX$32.15

-21.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,718

$1.62 MX$27.26

-26.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,619

$1.35 MX$22.78

-14.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$5.43 MX$91.6

-28.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.1K

$17.59 MX$297

-17.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,948

$2.07 MX$34.90

-23.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,836

$4.75 MX$80.1

-40.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,650

$0.34 MX$5.74

244.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 242.9K

$21.58 MX$364

260.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,014

$2.04 MX$34.44

-37.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,537

$0.58 MX$9.75

260.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 26.9K

$5.97 MX$101

44.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,056

$1.62 MX$27.27

-19.75%

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

$27.7K COP 86.4M

$22.8K MX$385.0K

21.25%

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

$35.5K COP 110.9M

$26.7K MX$450.0K

33.18%

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

$176 COP 550.1K

$65.2 MX$1,101

169.88%

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

$13.37 COP 41.8K

$29.87 MX$504

-55.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 93.4K

$36.55 MX$617

-18.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 139.8K

$61.0 MX$1,030

-26.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.3K

$26.70 MX$451

-36.10%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.4K

$6.85 MX$116

-9.49%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$453 MX$7,652

74.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.2M

$13.4K MX$225.7K

-32.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 267.5K

$75.0 MX$1,265

14.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 182.7K

$55.3 MX$933

5.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 425.9K

$114 MX$1,917

19.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 322.2K

$123 MX$2,070

-15.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$1,134 MX$19.1K

-6.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$712 MX$12.0K

-4.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$2,571 MX$43.4K

-21.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$1,311 MX$22.1K

-10.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.8M

$3,993 MX$67.4K

2.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$2,095 MX$35.4K

-18.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

$1,047 MX$17.7K

-36.45%

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 Mexico City: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,060 in Medellin versus $1,134 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 57% 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $52.0 in Mexico City. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $303 vs $345 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 4%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,574 per month in Medellin and $2,469 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 $48.00 in Medellin and $52.0 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 $1,716 in Medellin and $1,646 in Mexico City. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Mexico City, where all-in costs run around $1,646, than in Medellin at $1,716. 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.