Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Oaxaca de Juarez Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Oaxaca de Juarez

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,034 per month in Medellin vs $1,026 in Oaxaca de Juarez, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,577 per month in Medellin vs $1,637 in Oaxaca de Juarez, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,120 per month in Medellin vs $2,247 in Oaxaca de Juarez, rent included.

Medellin costs about 1% more than Oaxaca de Juarez, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Medellin and Oaxaca de Juarez are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 23% lower, Oaxaca de Juarez 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$5.99 MX$105

-1.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$26.09 MX$457

25.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$8.08 MX$141

-10.89%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$2.69 MX$47.09

-36.80%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$1.22 MX$21.37

-9.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.68 MX$11.97

5.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$2.19 MX$38.30

-23.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$3.43 MX$60.0

-9.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$1.35 MX$23.61

-21.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$2.65 MX$46.33

-52.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$1.08 MX$18.89

28.70%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$1.62 MX$28.29

39.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$6.48 MX$113

-33.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$4.83 MX$84.5

20.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$11.05 MX$193

-20.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$2.15 MX$37.60

4.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$1.17 MX$20.49

-7.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$1.72 MX$30.03

-11.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$0.51 MX$8.97

168.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$2.12 MX$37.09

-46.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$1.88 MX$32.83

-40.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$1.05 MX$18.31

-19.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$0.72 MX$12.68

26.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$4.00 MX$70.0

-41.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$10.22 MX$179

8.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$1.32 MX$23.03

-9.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$2.72 MX$47.59

-12.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$0.51 MX$8.86

54.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$2.64 MX$46.27

-45.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$2.41 MX$42.11

-20.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$10.71 MX$188

-25.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$1.29 MX$22.57

-27.13%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$22.3K MX$390.3K

-19.64%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$24.3K MX$425.9K

10.08%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$68.0 MX$1,190

23.45%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$10.47 MX$183

-8.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$23.63 MX$414

2.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$32.31 MX$566

-19.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

$15.64 MX$274

21.74%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$5.26 MX$92.0

-25.48%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$363 MX$6,351

-15.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$3,647 MX$63.8K

62.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$39.42 MX$690

46.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$59.5 MX$1,041

-46.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$67.2 MX$1,176

48.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$98.9 MX$1,730

8.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$591 MX$10.3K

-17.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$416 MX$7,274

-11.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$1,060 MX$18.5K

-22.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$854 MX$14.9K

-16.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

11.25

19.38%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Last update for Oaxaca de Juarez: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $487 in Medellin versus $591 in Oaxaca de Juarez. 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 $33.00 in Medellin versus $26.00 in Oaxaca de Juarez. Groceries tell a different story – $190 in Medellin vs $210 in Oaxaca de Juarez – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Oaxaca de Juarez: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 1%, 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 $1,550 per month in Medellin and $1,539 in Oaxaca de Juarez. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Oaxaca de Juarez, 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 $33.00 in Medellin and $26.00 in Oaxaca de Juarez. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 11% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Oaxaca de Juarez, where all-in costs run around $1,026, than in Medellin at $1,034. In Oaxaca de Juarez it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Oaxaca de Juarez. 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.