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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,716 per month in Medellin vs $1,304 in Puerto Penasco, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,527 per month in Medellin vs $2,091 in Puerto Penasco, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,338 per month in Medellin vs $2,878 in Puerto Penasco, rent included.

Medellin costs about 32% more than Puerto Penasco, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Puerto Penasco is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.1K

$12.85 MX$217

-37.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 150.8K

$46.42 MX$784

3.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.5K

$9.28 MX$157

5.28%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,095

$5.07 MX$85.7

-42.60%

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

$1.94 COP 6,074

$1.52 MX$25.64

27.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,754

$1.11 MX$18.70

36.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,663

$2.97 MX$50.2

4.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 17.9K

$4.51 MX$76.2

27.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,262

$1.76 MX$29.71

-22.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,460

$3.27 MX$55.2

-26.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,314

$1.80 MX$30.44

-5.56%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 8,967

$3.22 MX$54.5

-10.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.1K

$5.45 MX$92.0

82.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.7K

$11.16 MX$189

-3.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.0K

$10.43 MX$176

41.23%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$4.52 MX$76.4

-9.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,911

$2.09 MX$35.35

-24.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,642

$3.26 MX$55.1

-34.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,917

$2.25 MX$38.10

-1.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,396

$2.13 MX$36.07

-3.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,700

$2.26 MX$38.25

-33.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,718

$1.46 MX$24.69

-18.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,619

$1.64 MX$27.70

-29.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$4.83 MX$81.7

-19.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.1K

$14.77 MX$250

-2.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,948

$1.69 MX$28.64

-6.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,836

$1.58 MX$26.63

79.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,650

$0.78 MX$13.13

50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 242.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,014

$2.32 MX$39.18

-44.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,537

$3.32 MX$56.1

-37.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 26.9K

$12.76 MX$216

-32.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,056

$1.51 MX$25.56

-13.91%

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

$27.7K COP 86.4M

$21.4K MX$361.7K

29.23%

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

$35.5K COP 110.9M

$22.5K MX$379.7K

58.05%

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

$176 COP 550.1K

$75.6 MX$1,277

133.02%

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

$13.37 COP 41.8K

$13.79 MX$233

-3.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 93.4K

$45.53 MX$769

-34.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 139.8K

$34.67 MX$586

29.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.3K

$21.15 MX$357

-19.34%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.4K

$5.74 MX$97.0

8.01%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$220 MX$3,715

260.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.2M

$4,290 MX$72.5K

110.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 267.5K

$58.4 MX$987

46.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 182.7K

$44.34 MX$749

31.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 425.9K

$107 MX$1,806

27.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 322.2K

$93.4 MX$1,579

10.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$562 MX$9,495

88.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$416 MX$7,023

63.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$1,015 MX$17.2K

98.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$810 MX$13.7K

44.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.8M

$1,776 MX$30.0K

131.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$1,054 MX$17.8K

61.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

$631 MX$10.7K

5.37%

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: August 30, 2026

Last update for Puerto Penasco: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,060 in Medellin versus $562 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 5% 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 $46.00 in Puerto Penasco. Groceries tell a different story – $303 in Medellin vs $311 in Puerto Penasco – 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 Penasco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 32%, 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 $1,955 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 $48.00 in Medellin and $46.00 in Puerto Penasco. 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Puerto Penasco, where all-in costs run around $1,304, than in Medellin at $1,716. 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.