Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Naucalpan de Juárez

For one person, living is cheaper in Naucalpan de Juárez: $1,199 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,625
/mo nomad
Naucalpan de Juárez
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,199
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Naucalpan de Juárez

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 Naucalpan de Juárez actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,625 per month in Medellin vs $1,199 in Naucalpan de Juárez, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,625
  • Naucalpan de Juárez $1,199

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Medellin vs $1,970 in Naucalpan de Juárez, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,412
  • Naucalpan de Juárez $1,970

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Medellin vs $2,741 in Naucalpan de Juárez, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,199
  • Naucalpan de Juárez $2,741

Medellin costs about 36% more than Naucalpan de Juárez, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Naucalpan de Juárez is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Naucalpan de Juárez
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.30 COP 26.3K
$10.89 MX$201
-23.78%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.91 COP 148.7K
$48.92 MX$904
-4.11%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.24 COP 29.3K
$9.67 MX$179
-4.45%
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
$1.55 MX$28.69
16.13%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.38 COP 4,382
$1.09 MX$20.17
26.61%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.24 COP 10.3K
$3.16 MX$58.5
2.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.56 COP 17.6K
$5.35 MX$98.9
3.93%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Naucalpan de Juárez
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.50 COP 4,760
$1.78 MX$32.85
-15.73%
White Bread (500g)
$2.37 COP 7,508
$2.74 MX$50.6
-13.50%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.70 COP 5,377
$1.94 MX$35.85
-12.37%
Eggs
$2.96 COP 9,379
$2.76 MX$51.1
7.25%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.22 COP 32.4K
$8.89 MX$164
14.96%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.74 COP 30.9K
$9.53 MX$176
2.20%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.90 COP 44.1K
$13.99 MX$259
-0.64%
Apples (1kg)
$4.13 COP 13.1K
$3.04 MX$56.1
35.86%
Banana (1kg)
$1.53 COP 4,839
$1.90 MX$35.08
-19.47%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.22 COP 7,052
$2.21 MX$40.82
0.45%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.27 COP 7,194
$2.30 MX$42.52
-1.30%
Potato (1kg)
$1.99 COP 6,311
$1.93 MX$35.73
3.11%
Onion (1kg)
$1.67 COP 5,285
$1.87 MX$34.53
-10.70%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.18 COP 3,742
$1.52 MX$28.11
-22.37%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 3,919
$1.21 MX$22.33
2.48%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.87 COP 12.3K
$4.39 MX$81.1
-11.85%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.78 COP 43.7K
$16.36 MX$302
-15.77%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,256
$1.95 MX$35.99
-14.87%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.40 COP 7,615
$3.80 MX$70.2
-36.84%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Naucalpan de Juárez
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.24 COP 3,944
$0.73 MX$13.40
69.86%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$78.2 COP 248.0K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.28 COP 4,044
$2.02 MX$37.31
-36.63%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.15 COP 6,803
$0.56 MX$10.41
283.93%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.37 COP 26.5K
$5.30 MX$98.0
57.92%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,288
$1.51 MX$27.82
-10.60%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.8K COP 110.2M
$21.8K MX$403.3K
59.29%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 110.0M
$23.8K MX$439.1K
45.96%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Naucalpan de Juárez
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$167 COP 528.4K
$57.1 MX$1,055
191.75%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.62 COP 43.2K
$26.87 MX$497
-49.31%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.12 COP 92.3K
$24.17 MX$447
20.48%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Naucalpan de Juárez
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.09 COP 143.0K
$32.43 MX$599
39.04%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.18 COP 54.5K
$22.14 MX$409
-22.40%
Cinema Ticket
$6.97 COP 22.1K
$6.50 MX$120
7.23%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Naucalpan de Juárez
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$790 COP 2.5M
$269 MX$4,974
193.54%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,041 COP 28.7M
$4,485 MX$82.9K
101.57%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Naucalpan de Juárez
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.8 COP 278.4K
$53.1 MX$981
65.44%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.2 COP 184.4K
$43.51 MX$804
33.65%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$139 COP 440.7K
$97.8 MX$1,807
42.10%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.9 COP 313.5K
$98.4 MX$1,819
0.45%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Naucalpan de Juárez
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,028 COP 3.3M
$543 MX$10.0K
89.53%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$620 COP 2.0M
$401 MX$7,408
54.53%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,881 COP 6.0M
$901 MX$16.6K
108.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,008 COP 3.2M
$844 MX$15.6K
19.32%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,988 COP 12.6M
$1,695 MX$31.3K
135.30%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,702 COP 5.4M
$979 MX$18.1K
73.85%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Naucalpan de Juárez
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$663 COP 2.1M
-
-
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 Naucalpan de Juárez: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$619
Naucalpan de Juárez
$401 35.3% $219
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$298
Naucalpan de Juárez
$307 3.2% $9.5
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$209
Naucalpan de Juárez
$108 48.3% $101
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$173
Naucalpan de Juárez
$132 23.7% $41
Eating Out
Medellin
$171
Naucalpan de Juárez
$197 15.6% $27
Getting Around
Medellin
$95
Naucalpan de Juárez
$7.7 * 91.9% $87
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$59
Naucalpan de Juárez
$45 23% $14

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $543 in Naucalpan de Juárez. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin versus $49.00 in Naucalpan de Juárez. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $298 vs $307 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇲🇽 Naucalpan de Juárez
🕒 Local time
07:54 7:54 AM
06:54 6:54 AM
1 h behind Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
792,211
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 24, 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 24, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Naucalpan de Juárez 2,950 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Naucalpan de Juárez

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 Naucalpan de Juárez: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Naucalpan de Juárez cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 36%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,437 per month in Medellin and $1,798 in Naucalpan de Juárez. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Naucalpan de Juárez, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Naucalpan de Juárez?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin and $49.00 in Naucalpan de Juárez. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Medellin and in Naucalpan de Juárez?
Interestingly, groceries are about 3% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Medellin or in Naucalpan de Juárez?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Naucalpan de Juárez, where all-in costs run around $1,199, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Naucalpan de Juárez it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Medellin or Naucalpan de Juárez more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Naucalpan de Juárez – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Naucalpan de Juárez. 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.

Medellin vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?