Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Puerto Escondido

For one person, living is cheaper in Puerto Escondido: $1,219 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 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
59

Cost of Living Index in Puerto Escondido
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Puerto Escondido Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Puerto Escondido

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,219

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Puerto Escondido

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,219 in Puerto Escondido, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Puerto Escondido $1,219

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,895 in Puerto Escondido, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Puerto Escondido $1,895

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,572 in Puerto Escondido, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Puerto Escondido $2,572

Medellin costs about 35% more than Puerto Escondido, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Puerto Escondido is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.4K

$10.04 MX$187

-19.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.0K

$42.27 MX$788

11.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 29.9K

$8.37 MX$156

13.50%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,485

$3.49 MX$65.0

-13.75%

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

$1.80 COP 5,660

$1.32 MX$24.70

36.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,443

$1.01 MX$18.78

39.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 9,990

$2.98 MX$55.5

6.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$4.11 MX$76.7

39.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,751

$1.80 MX$33.60

-16.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,480

$2.81 MX$52.4

-15.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,573

$1.55 MX$28.83

14.19%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,093

$2.69 MX$50.2

7.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.1K

$8.00 MX$149

27.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.1K

$10.93 MX$204

-9.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.0K

$11.46 MX$214

22.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.5K

$2.75 MX$51.3

44.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,883

$1.65 MX$30.70

-6.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,867

$1.87 MX$34.86

16.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,870

$1.77 MX$33.04

23.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,174

$1.61 MX$29.97

21.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,000

$2.05 MX$38.15

-22.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,604

$1.47 MX$27.36

-21.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,911

$1.13 MX$21.14

9.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$4.42 MX$82.5

-10.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.0K

$10.36 MX$193

32.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,221

$2.32 MX$43.16

-28.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,103

$3.03 MX$56.5

-25.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,674

$0.79 MX$14.68

48.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

$31.45 MX$586

146.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 3,989

$2.61 MX$48.59

-51.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,442

$1.77 MX$32.98

15.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

$11.22 MX$209

-23.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,237

$1.35 MX$25.12

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

$34.1K COP 107.2M

$21.2K MX$394.5K

60.97%

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

$21.8K MX$405.7K

59.28%

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

$170 COP 533.7K

$51.7 MX$964

227.95%

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

$13.55 COP 42.6K

$22.32 MX$416

-39.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.3K

$35.63 MX$664

-21.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

$27.21 MX$507

60.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

$20.22 MX$377

-14.99%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.7K

$5.02 MX$93.5

37.65%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$216 MX$4,018

269.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

$4,627 MX$86.2K

96.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 266.5K

$50.7 MX$945

67.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 182.3K

$43.62 MX$813

32.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 424.6K

$85.1 MX$1,586

58.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 307.9K

$97.7 MX$1,820

0.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$598 MX$11.1K

102.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$439 MX$8,175

46.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$938 MX$17.5K

116.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$753 MX$14.0K

34.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

$2,004 MX$37.4K

108.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$1,179 MX$22.0K

62.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$329 MX$6,130

99.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.31

-3.27%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Puerto Escondido: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Puerto Escondido

$439 36% 31.6% $203

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Puerto Escondido

$283 23.2% 4.8% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Puerto Escondido

$110 9% 48.1% $102

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Puerto Escondido

$180 14.8% 6% $10

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Puerto Escondido

$125 10.2% 26.2% $44

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Puerto Escondido

$46 3.8% 50.8% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Puerto Escondido

$37 3.1% 35.3% $20

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $598 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 100% higher in Medellin. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $42 in Puerto Escondido. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $283 – making Puerto Escondido the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇲🇽 Puerto Escondido

🕒 Local time

20:05 8:05 PM

19:05 7:05 PM

1 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

25,902

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 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 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Puerto Escondido 2,570 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Puerto Escondido

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 Puerto Escondido: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 35%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,828 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $598 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $42 in Puerto Escondido. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $1,219 in Puerto Escondido. That makes Puerto Escondido about 26% cheaper.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Puerto Escondido, where all-in costs run around $1,219, than in Medellin at $1,639. 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.

If budget matters most, go with Puerto Escondido. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.