Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Puebla

For one person, living is cheaper in Puebla: $1,134 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Puebla
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Puebla Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Puebla

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,134

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Puebla

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 Puebla actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $1,134 in Puebla, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Puebla $1,134

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $1,818 in Puebla, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Puebla $1,818

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $2,503 in Puebla, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Puebla $2,503

Medellin costs about 42% more than Puebla, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Puebla is 16% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$9.66 MX$179

-17.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$47.46 MX$877

-2.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$9.56 MX$177

-0.63%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$3.13 MX$57.8

-0.64%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$1.52 MX$28.02

20.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$1.19 MX$21.94

15.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$2.66 MX$49.22

14.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$3.79 MX$70.1

45.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$1.54 MX$28.52

-5.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$3.04 MX$56.2

-22.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$1.77 MX$32.74

-5.08%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$3.39 MX$62.7

-15.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$6.52 MX$120

56.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$5.75 MX$106

65.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$11.22 MX$207

25.13%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$2.57 MX$47.54

58.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$1.70 MX$31.38

-11.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$1.88 MX$34.82

15.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$2.02 MX$37.41

14.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$2.10 MX$38.86

-8.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$1.94 MX$35.77

-15.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$1.44 MX$26.56

-21.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$1.29 MX$23.82

-3.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$5.06 MX$93.5

-21.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$13.97 MX$258

-4.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$1.46 MX$26.99

16.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$2.57 MX$47.41

-7.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

$0.53 MX$9.88

128.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

$24.90 MX$460

207.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$5.31 MX$98.1

-75.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

$1.91 MX$35.29

12.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$15.79 MX$292

-46.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$1.50 MX$27.78

-13.33%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$21.2K MX$391.4K

32.15%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$24.3K MX$449.8K

45.49%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$60.9 MX$1,126

182.53%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$18.89 MX$349

-29.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$23.61 MX$436

21.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

$42.49 MX$785

6.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

$13.06 MX$241

30.47%

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$5.63 MX$104

11.55%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$419 MX$7,742

83.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$19.8K MX$365.9K

-54.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$59.2 MX$1,094

46.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$61.3 MX$1,133

-6.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$101 MX$1,871

34.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$97.7 MX$1,805

0.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$631 MX$11.7K

67.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$355 MX$6,555

73.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$874 MX$16.1K

116.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

$675 MX$12.5K

51.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$1,652 MX$30.5K

145.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

$904 MX$16.7K

85.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

$664 MX$12.3K

-1.80%

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: October 12, 2026

Last update for Puebla: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Puebla

$355 31.3% 42.4% $261

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Puebla

$261 23% 11.4% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Puebla

$103 9.1% 51.7% $111

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Puebla

$144 12.7% 15.5% $26

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Puebla

$175 15.5% 4.1% $6.8

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Puebla

$42 3.7% 55.1% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Puebla

$54 4.7% 7% $4.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $631 in Puebla. 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 2% higher in Puebla, 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 $46.00 in Medellin versus $47.00 in Puebla. Groceries tell a different story – $295 in Medellin vs $261 in Puebla – so Puebla wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇲🇽 Puebla

🕒 Local time

07:39 7:39 AM

06:39 6:39 AM

1 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

1,542,232

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Between locations

Medellin Puebla 2,830 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Puebla

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 Puebla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 42%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $1,701 in Puebla. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Puebla, 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 $46.00 in Medellin and $47.00 in Puebla. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,614 in Medellin and $1,134 in Puebla. That's a gap of about 42%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Puebla, where all-in costs run around $1,134, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Puebla it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Puebla – 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 Puebla. 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.