Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Nogales Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Nogales

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,681 per month in Medellin vs $1,220 in Nogales, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,445 per month in Medellin vs $1,928 in Nogales, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,210 per month in Medellin vs $2,637 in Nogales, rent included.

Medellin costs about 38% more than Nogales, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Medellin sits 23% above the global median, while Nogales is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.3K

$11.70 MX$201

-31.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 151.0K

$47.01 MX$807

1.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.2K

$8.07 MX$138

22.55%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,873

$3.62 MX$62.2

-13.54%

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

$1.91 COP 6,019

$1.39 MX$23.87

37.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,763

$1.16 MX$19.88

30.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,853

$2.93 MX$50.4

6.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$4.85 MX$83.2

18.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,558

$1.76 MX$30.21

-18.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,843

$2.65 MX$45.48

-6.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,595

$1.65 MX$28.25

7.27%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,336

$2.63 MX$45.21

12.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.8K

$9.39 MX$161

7.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.9K

$7.92 MX$136

27.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.1K

$11.16 MX$192

28.14%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.0K

$2.65 MX$45.51

56.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,073

$1.83 MX$31.44

-12.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,083

$2.10 MX$35.96

7.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,104

$1.75 MX$29.96

28.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,444

$1.99 MX$34.17

2.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,842

$2.05 MX$35.22

-24.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,691

$1.30 MX$22.37

-10.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,121

$1.13 MX$19.42

15.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.3K

$4.16 MX$71.5

-6.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.2K

$12.21 MX$210

14.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,498

$1.95 MX$33.46

-10.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,053

$3.59 MX$61.7

-20.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,834

$0.62 MX$10.58

96.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 253.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,129

$3.17 MX$54.4

-58.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,899

$2.20 MX$37.74

-0.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.5K

$11.96 MX$205

-27.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,306

$1.51 MX$25.84

-9.27%

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

$27.8K COP 87.8M

$23.8K MX$409.0K

16.81%

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

$35.8K COP 112.8M

$22.1K MX$379.4K

61.84%

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

$177 COP 559.3K

$55.4 MX$950

220.27%

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

$13.88 COP 43.8K

$25.89 MX$444

-46.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 93.8K

$26.94 MX$462

10.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 141.6K

$41.45 MX$712

8.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.0K

$24.02 MX$412

-28.73%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.0K

$5.24 MX$89.9

26.91%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$226 MX$3,876

259.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.0M

$5,341 MX$91.7K

72.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 282.3K

$65.4 MX$1,122

36.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 186.0K

$46.27 MX$794

27.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 435.9K

$123 MX$2,111

12.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 322.1K

$78.5 MX$1,348

30.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$619 MX$10.6K

71.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$372 MX$6,386

78.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$945 MX$16.2K

99.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$828 MX$14.2K

24.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.2M

$2,151 MX$36.9K

94.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$1,384 MX$23.8K

21.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 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: September 14, 2026

Last update for Nogales: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,062 in Medellin versus $619 in Nogales. 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $47.00 in Nogales. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $305 vs $274 – making Nogales 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 Nogales: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 38%, 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 $2,521 per month in Medellin and $1,830 in Nogales. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nogales, 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 $47.00 in Nogales. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 11% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Nogales, where all-in costs run around $1,220, than in Medellin at $1,681. In Nogales it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nogales – 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 Nogales. 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.