Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Puebla Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Puebla

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,716 per month in Medellin vs $1,117 in Puebla, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,527 per month in Medellin vs $1,876 in Puebla, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,338 per month in Medellin vs $2,636 in Puebla, rent included.

Medellin costs about 54% more than Puebla, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Puebla is 19% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.3K

$10.15 MX$172

-20.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 152.0K

$52.3 MX$888

-7.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.8K

$10.47 MX$178

-6.69%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,167

$3.54 MX$60.1

-17.80%

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

$1.94 COP 6,122

$1.59 MX$26.99

22.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,792

$1.23 MX$20.82

23.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,740

$2.99 MX$50.8

3.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 18.1K

$4.24 MX$72.0

35.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,296

$1.78 MX$30.23

-23.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,519

$3.36 MX$57.2

-28.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,356

$2.05 MX$34.84

-17.07%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 9,038

$3.87 MX$65.7

-25.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.3K

$7.06 MX$120

40.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 34.0K

$5.95 MX$101

81.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.4K

$11.77 MX$200

25.15%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.9K

$2.90 MX$49.25

41.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,950

$1.91 MX$32.37

-17.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,695

$2.09 MX$35.45

1.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,972

$2.21 MX$37.58

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,447

$2.26 MX$38.41

-9.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,737

$2.18 MX$36.99

-31.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,747

$1.57 MX$26.72

-24.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,647

$1.44 MX$24.43

-19.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.3K

$5.27 MX$89.4

-26.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.5K

$14.52 MX$247

-0.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,987

$1.53 MX$25.96

3.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,905

$2.87 MX$48.68

-1.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,679

$0.62 MX$10.47

88.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 244.8K

$27.00 MX$459

187.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,045

$5.64 MX$95.8

-77.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,589

$2.01 MX$34.21

3.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 27.1K

$17.33 MX$294

-50.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,088

$1.56 MX$26.46

-16.67%

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

$27.7K COP 87.1M

$22.5K MX$382.2K

22.91%

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

$35.5K COP 111.8M

$26.3K MX$446.0K

35.22%

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

$176 COP 554.5K

$67.1 MX$1,140

162.32%

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

$13.37 COP 42.1K

$20.47 MX$348

-34.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 94.1K

$25.74 MX$437

16.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 141.0K

$45.20 MX$768

-0.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.7K

$14.18 MX$241

20.31%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.5K

$5.92 MX$100

4.73%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$453 MX$7,693

75.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.4M

$21.4K MX$363.8K

-57.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 269.6K

$64.0 MX$1,086

33.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 184.1K

$64.6 MX$1,098

-9.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 429.3K

$110 MX$1,864

24.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 324.7K

$102 MX$1,739

0.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$659 MX$11.2K

60.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$293 MX$4,973

132.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$911 MX$15.5K

120.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$673 MX$11.4K

73.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.9M

$1,755 MX$29.8K

134.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.4M

$966 MX$16.4K

76.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

$723 MX$12.3K

-7.94%

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: August 30, 2026

Last update for Puebla: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,060 in Medellin versus $659 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 9% 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $52.0 in Puebla. Groceries tell a different story – $303 in Medellin vs $284 in Puebla – so Puebla 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 Puebla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 54%, 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 $2,574 per month in Medellin and $1,675 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 $48.00 in Medellin and $52.0 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 $1,716 in Medellin and $1,117 in Puebla. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Puebla, where all-in costs run around $1,117, than in Medellin at $1,716. 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.