Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Puerto Vallarta

For one person, living costs are similar in Medellin and in Puerto Vallarta: $1,614 and $1,602 a month, rent and utilities included.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
78

Cost of Living Index in Puerto Vallarta
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Puerto Vallarta Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Puerto Vallarta

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,602

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $1,602 in Puerto Vallarta, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Puerto Vallarta $1,602

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $2,430 in Puerto Vallarta, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Puerto Vallarta $2,430

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $3,259 in Puerto Vallarta, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Puerto Vallarta $3,259

Medellin costs about 1% more than Puerto Vallarta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Puerto Vallarta sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Puerto Vallarta by 19%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$13.62 MX$252

-41.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$58.3 MX$1,076

-20.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$11.17 MX$206

-14.95%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$4.23 MX$78.2

-26.48%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$1.86 MX$34.43

-1.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$1.38 MX$25.59

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$2.93 MX$54.1

4.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$4.24 MX$78.3

29.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$1.79 MX$33.17

-18.99%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$3.51 MX$64.9

-32.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$2.00 MX$36.97

-16.00%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$2.20 MX$40.72

30.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$10.04 MX$185

1.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$10.99 MX$203

-13.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$16.33 MX$302

-14.02%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$2.93 MX$54.2

38.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$1.51 MX$27.99

-0.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$1.94 MX$35.88

11.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$2.13 MX$39.43

8.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$2.40 MX$44.26

-19.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$3.17 MX$58.5

-48.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$1.39 MX$25.73

-18.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$1.13 MX$20.97

10.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$4.30 MX$79.5

-7.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$11.13 MX$206

19.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$1.87 MX$34.64

-9.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$2.58 MX$47.63

-8.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

$0.62 MX$11.54

95.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

$21.79 MX$403

251.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$4.78 MX$88.4

-72.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

$3.08 MX$56.9

-30.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$4.26 MX$78.8

98.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$1.55 MX$28.63

-16.13%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$21.5K MX$396.7K

30.38%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$24.0K MX$443.2K

47.65%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$85.7 MX$1,583

100.85%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$25.48 MX$471

-47.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$31.81 MX$588

-9.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

$36.74 MX$679

23.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

$14.96 MX$276

13.90%

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$8.74 MX$161

-28.15%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$335 MX$6,187

130.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$6,188 MX$114.3K

45.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$54.6 MX$1,008

58.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$34.55 MX$638

65.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$102 MX$1,893

33.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$95.0 MX$1,755

3.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$1,311 MX$24.2K

-19.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$687 MX$12.7K

-10.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$2,068 MX$38.2K

-8.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

$1,105 MX$20.4K

-7.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$5,117 MX$94.6K

-20.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

$2,541 MX$47.0K

-33.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

$910 MX$16.8K

-28.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.7

-6.50%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Puerto Vallarta: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Puerto Vallarta

$687 42.9% 11.5% $71

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Puerto Vallarta

$316 19.7% 7.1% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Puerto Vallarta

$143 8.9% 33.3% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Puerto Vallarta

$129 8.1% 24.2% $41

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Puerto Vallarta

$229 14.3% 36.2% $61

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Puerto Vallarta

$44 2.8% 52.4% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Puerto Vallarta

$54 3.4% 6.2% $3.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $1,311 in Puerto Vallarta. 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 39% higher in Puerto Vallarta, 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 $46.00 in Medellin versus $58.0 in Puerto Vallarta. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $316 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇲🇽 Puerto Vallarta

🕒 Local time

19:18 7:18 PM

18:18 6:18 PM

1 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

224,166

💱 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 18, 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 18, 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 →

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Medellin Puerto Vallarta 3,570 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Puerto Vallarta

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 Vallarta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 1%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $2,403 in Puerto Vallarta. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Puerto Vallarta, 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 $46.00 in Medellin and $58.0 in Puerto Vallarta. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,614 in Medellin and $1,602 in Puerto Vallarta. That's a gap of about 1%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Puerto Vallarta, where all-in costs run around $1,602, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Puerto Vallarta it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Puerto Vallarta – 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 Vallarta. 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.