Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Puerto Penasco

For one person, living is cheaper in Puerto Penasco: $1,205 a month against $1,625 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
58

Cost of Living Index in Puerto Penasco
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Puerto Penasco Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Puerto Penasco

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,205

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,625 per month in Medellin vs $1,205 in Puerto Penasco, rent included.

Medellin $1,625
Puerto Penasco $1,205

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Medellin vs $1,921 in Puerto Penasco, rent included.

Medellin $2,412
Puerto Penasco $1,921

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Medellin vs $2,638 in Puerto Penasco, rent included.

Medellin $3,199
Puerto Penasco $2,638

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

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Puerto Penasco is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$12.28 MX$227

-32.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$44.08 MX$814

6.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$8.65 MX$160

6.82%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$4.66 MX$86.2

-34.55%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$1.41 MX$26.04

27.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$1.03 MX$19.09

33.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$2.50 MX$46.15

29.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$3.92 MX$72.5

41.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$1.57 MX$28.93

-4.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$3.01 MX$55.6

-21.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$1.72 MX$31.83

-1.16%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$3.02 MX$55.8

-1.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$4.78 MX$88.4

113.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$10.73 MX$198

-9.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$9.46 MX$175

46.93%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$4.32 MX$79.9

-4.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$1.91 MX$35.29

-19.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$3.07 MX$56.7

-27.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$2.10 MX$38.82

8.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$1.93 MX$35.60

3.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$2.00 MX$36.97

-16.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$1.46 MX$27.00

-19.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$1.55 MX$28.58

-20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$4.39 MX$81.1

-11.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

$13.62 MX$252

1.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$1.56 MX$28.84

6.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$1.50 MX$27.65

60.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

$0.63 MX$11.72

96.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

$2.14 MX$39.60

-40.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

$2.96 MX$54.7

-27.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

$10.94 MX$202

-23.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$1.40 MX$25.79

-3.57%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

$20.9K MX$386.8K

66.08%

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

$24.4K MX$451.5K

41.95%

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$70.4 MX$1,302

136.62%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$12.65 MX$234

7.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$42.57 MX$787

-31.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

$33.27 MX$615

35.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

$19.79 MX$366

-13.19%

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

$5.32 MX$98.3

31.02%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$223 MX$4,112

255.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

$4,550 MX$84.1K

98.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$54.1 MX$1,000

62.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$41.03 MX$758

41.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$100 MX$1,852

38.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$90.5 MX$1,673

9.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$527 MX$9,747

94.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$388 MX$7,161

59.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$916 MX$16.9K

105.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$757 MX$14.0K

33.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

$1,900 MX$35.1K

109.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$1,149 MX$21.2K

48.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$583 MX$10.8K

13.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

10.55

3.70%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Puerto Penasco: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Puerto Penasco

$388 32.2% 37.4% $232

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Puerto Penasco

$289 24% 2.9% $8.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Puerto Penasco

$126 10.4% 40% $84

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Puerto Penasco

$129 10.7% 25.5% $44

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Puerto Penasco

$210 17.5% 23.1% $39

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Puerto Penasco

$19 * 1.6% 79.5% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Puerto Penasco

$44 3.6% 25.6% $15

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $527 in Puerto Penasco. 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 14% 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 $47.00 in Medellin versus $44.00 in Puerto Penasco. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $298 vs $289 – making Puerto Penasco the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇲🇽 Puerto Penasco

🕒 Local time

07:43 7:43 AM

05:43 5:43 AM

2 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

56,756

💱 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 20, 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 20, 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 →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Puerto Penasco 4,830 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Puerto Penasco

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 Penasco: 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 $2,437 per month in Medellin and $1,807 in Puerto Penasco. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Puerto Penasco, 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 $47.00 in Medellin and $44.00 in Puerto Penasco. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 3% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Puerto Penasco, where all-in costs run around $1,205, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Puerto Penasco it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Puerto Penasco – 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 Penasco. 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.