Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Puerto Escondido Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Puerto Escondido

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $1,263 in Puerto Escondido, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $2,029 in Puerto Escondido, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $2,795 in Puerto Escondido, rent included.

Medellin costs about 30% more than Puerto Escondido, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Puerto Escondido is 8% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$11.02 MX$187

-27.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$47.03 MX$798

2.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$8.85 MX$150

6.44%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$3.77 MX$63.9

-22.02%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$1.43 MX$24.21

30.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$1.09 MX$18.52

33.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$3.23 MX$54.7

-0.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$4.38 MX$74.3

30.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.96 MX$33.22

-26.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$3.21 MX$54.4

-25.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$1.68 MX$28.45

1.19%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$2.92 MX$49.56

-1.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$8.80 MX$149

14.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$11.73 MX$199

-15.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$12.31 MX$209

15.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$2.92 MX$49.46

36.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.80 MX$30.55

-12.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$2.02 MX$34.28

6.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$1.87 MX$31.64

22.99%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$1.75 MX$29.64

14.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$2.17 MX$36.85

-30.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$1.62 MX$27.46

-25.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$1.15 MX$19.57

11.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$4.69 MX$79.6

-18.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$11.66 MX$198

20.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$2.52 MX$42.73

-32.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$3.31 MX$56.1

-17.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$0.86 MX$14.60

45.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$3.18 MX$53.9

-58.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$1.94 MX$32.91

11.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$12.44 MX$211

-33.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.44 MX$24.43

-5.56%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$26.0K MX$441.9K

5.46%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$23.4K MX$397.3K

56.03%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$65.4 MX$1,110

157.94%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$23.83 MX$404

-43.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$40.42 MX$686

-29.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$29.83 MX$506

53.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$21.25 MX$360

-18.96%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$5.74 MX$97.4

15.85%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$249 MX$4,218

223.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$5,666 MX$96.1K

62.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$61.7 MX$1,046

41.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$46.97 MX$797

26.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$95.2 MX$1,616

45.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$103 MX$1,750

-1.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$654 MX$11.1K

63.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$412 MX$6,982

58.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$1,040 MX$17.6K

85.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$818 MX$13.9K

28.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$2,157 MX$36.6K

91.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$1,387 MX$23.5K

22.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$356 MX$6,044

83.84%

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 7, 2026

Last update for Puerto Escondido: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,071 in Medellin versus $654 in Puerto Escondido. 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 84% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $47.00 in Puerto Escondido. Groceries tell a different story – $300 in Medellin vs $307 in Puerto Escondido – 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 Puerto Escondido: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 30%, 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 $2,462 per month in Medellin and $1,895 in Puerto Escondido. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 2% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Puerto Escondido, where all-in costs run around $1,263, than in Medellin at $1,641. In Puerto Escondido it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Puerto Escondido – 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 Puerto Escondido. 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.