Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and San Fernando

For one person, living is cheaper in San Fernando: $1,130 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 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
55

Cost of Living Index in San Fernando
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San Fernando Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

San Fernando

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,130

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in San Fernando

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

A single person spends $1,625 per month in Medellin vs $1,130 in San Fernando, rent included.

Medellin $1,625
San Fernando $1,130

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Medellin vs $1,832 in San Fernando, rent included.

Medellin $2,412
San Fernando $1,832

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Medellin vs $2,534 in San Fernando, rent included.

Medellin $3,199
San Fernando $2,534

Medellin costs about 44% more than San Fernando, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while San Fernando is 17% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$10.75 MX$199

-22.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$43.30 MX$800

8.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$8.42 MX$156

9.74%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$3.63 MX$67.0

-15.98%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$1.42 MX$26.21

26.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$1.06 MX$19.52

30.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$2.42 MX$44.65

33.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$4.15 MX$76.7

33.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$1.60 MX$29.59

-6.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$2.68 MX$49.57

-11.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$1.71 MX$31.53

-0.58%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$2.53 MX$46.78

17.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$8.19 MX$151

24.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$8.27 MX$153

17.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$11.60 MX$214

19.83%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$2.67 MX$49.25

54.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$1.60 MX$29.50

-4.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$1.97 MX$36.32

12.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$1.84 MX$33.96

23.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$1.97 MX$36.36

1.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$1.82 MX$33.57

-8.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$1.43 MX$26.41

-17.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$1.14 MX$21.00

8.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$4.32 MX$79.9

-10.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

$10.48 MX$194

31.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$1.79 MX$33.11

-7.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$3.20 MX$59.2

-25.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

$0.64 MX$11.85

93.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

$2.56 MX$47.39

-50.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

$2.01 MX$37.15

6.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

$10.82 MX$200

-22.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$1.49 MX$27.45

-9.40%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

$21.0K MX$387.5K

65.75%

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

$23.7K MX$438.6K

46.13%

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$57.0 MX$1,054

192.27%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$22.91 MX$423

-40.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$29.54 MX$546

-1.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

$33.60 MX$621

34.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

$20.12 MX$372

-14.61%

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

$5.23 MX$96.6

33.27%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$220 MX$4,060

259.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

$4,534 MX$83.8K

99.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$54.3 MX$1,003

61.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$40.69 MX$752

42.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$98.8 MX$1,825

40.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$90.3 MX$1,669

9.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$612 MX$11.3K

67.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$383 MX$7,076

61.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$1,030 MX$19.0K

82.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$779 MX$14.4K

29.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

$1,910 MX$35.3K

108.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$1,160 MX$21.4K

46.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

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: October 19, 2026

Last update for San Fernando: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

San Fernando

$383 33.9% 38.2% $237

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

San Fernando

$266 23.5% 10.8% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

San Fernando

$109 9.7% 47.7% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

San Fernando

$128 11.3% 26% $45

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

San Fernando

$185 16.4% 8.3% $14

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

San Fernando

$15 * 1.3% 84.1% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

San Fernando

$44 3.9% 25.4% $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 $612 in San Fernando. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin versus $43.00 in San Fernando. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $298 vs $266 – making San Fernando the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇲🇽 San Fernando

🕒 Local time

03:13 3:13 AM

02:13 2:13 AM

1 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

11,867

💱 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 22, 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 22, 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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Between locations

Medellin San Fernando 2,250 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
San Fernando

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 San Fernando: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 44%, 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 $1,695 in San Fernando. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Fernando, 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 $43.00 in San Fernando. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 12% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in San Fernando, where all-in costs run around $1,130, than in Medellin at $1,625. In San Fernando it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward San Fernando – 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 San Fernando. 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.