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 $1,681 per month in Medellin vs $1,226 in Oaxaca de Juarez, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,445 per month in Medellin vs $1,858 in Oaxaca de Juarez, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,210 per month in Medellin vs $2,490 in Oaxaca de Juarez, rent included.

Medellin costs about 37% more than Oaxaca de Juarez, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Medellin sits 23% above the global median, while Oaxaca de Juarez is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$7.16 MX$123

12.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$34.89 MX$602

37.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$8.72 MX$150

13.42%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$3.00 MX$51.8

4.33%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$1.64 MX$28.22

16.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.85 MX$14.66

77.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$2.70 MX$46.59

15.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$4.15 MX$71.6

38.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.47 MX$25.33

-2.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$3.35 MX$57.9

-25.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$1.14 MX$19.60

55.26%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$1.85 MX$31.91

60.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$7.05 MX$122

42.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$6.05 MX$104

67.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$11.92 MX$205

19.97%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$2.27 MX$39.22

82.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.31 MX$22.52

22.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$2.10 MX$36.14

7.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$0.60 MX$10.39

275.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$2.20 MX$38.02

-7.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$2.09 MX$36.07

-26.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$1.19 MX$20.55

-1.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$1.00 MX$17.22

31.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$4.53 MX$78.2

-13.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$10.29 MX$177

36.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.49 MX$25.66

16.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$2.80 MX$48.28

2.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.57 MX$9.76

114.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$4.19 MX$72.3

-68.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$2.07 MX$35.62

5.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$11.60 MX$200

-24.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.47 MX$25.32

-6.80%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$22.5K MX$387.5K

23.86%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$26.0K MX$448.8K

37.43%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$65.8 MX$1,135

169.45%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$11.85 MX$204

17.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$25.44 MX$439

16.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$46.39 MX$800

-3.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$5.81 MX$100

14.46%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$454 MX$7,836

78.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$20.7K MX$356.6K

-55.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$49.07 MX$846

82.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$66.2 MX$1,142

-10.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$107 MX$1,846

29.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$102 MX$1,766

-0.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$761 MX$13.1K

39.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$523 MX$9,017

26.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$1,270 MX$21.9K

48.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$930 MX$16.0K

10.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

10.96

-0.18%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Oaxaca de Juarez: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,062 in Medellin versus $761 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $35.00 in Oaxaca de Juarez. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $305 vs $239 – making Oaxaca de Juarez 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 Oaxaca de Juarez: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 37%, 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 $1,840 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 $48.00 in Medellin and $35.00 in Oaxaca de Juarez. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 27% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Oaxaca de Juarez, where all-in costs run around $1,226, than in Medellin at $1,681. 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.