Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and San Luis Rio Colorado

For one person, living is cheaper in San Luis Rio Colorado: $1,229 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 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
59

Cost of Living Index in San Luis Rio Colorado
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San Luis Rio Colorado Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

San Luis Rio Colorado

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,229

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in San Luis Rio Colorado

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 Luis Rio Colorado actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,229 in San Luis Rio Colorado, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
San Luis Rio Colorado $1,229

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,860 in San Luis Rio Colorado, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
San Luis Rio Colorado $1,860

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,491 in San Luis Rio Colorado, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
San Luis Rio Colorado $2,491

Medellin costs about 33% more than San Luis Rio Colorado, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while San Luis Rio Colorado is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$11.95 MX$222

-32.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.8K

$33.23 MX$617

41.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$9.45 MX$175

0.53%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,729

$4.19 MX$77.9

-28.16%

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

$1.80 COP 5,806

$1.42 MX$26.35

26.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,558

$1.23 MX$22.85

14.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

$3.16 MX$58.7

0.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$6.43 MX$119

-10.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,873

$1.72 MX$31.94

-12.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,673

$2.93 MX$54.5

-18.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,716

$1.76 MX$32.67

0.57%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,327

$3.10 MX$57.5

-6.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$8.46 MX$157

20.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$7.24 MX$134

36.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

$11.50 MX$213

21.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$2.87 MX$53.4

38.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,009

$1.59 MX$29.60

-2.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,044

$1.96 MX$36.44

11.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,047

$1.56 MX$29.02

39.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,333

$1.49 MX$27.59

31.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,129

$1.82 MX$33.71

-12.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,696

$1.45 MX$26.94

-20.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,012

$1.04 MX$19.35

19.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$4.39 MX$81.5

-9.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$7.98 MX$148

71.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,356

$2.21 MX$41.04

-24.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,286

$4.02 MX$74.7

-43.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,769

$0.69 MX$12.74

69.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.7K

$32.51 MX$604

137.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,092

$2.75 MX$51.0

-53.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,608

$2.20 MX$40.93

-6.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$10.75 MX$200

-20.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,346

$1.50 MX$27.87

-10.00%

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

$34.1K COP 109.9M

$24.2K MX$450.0K

40.59%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$23.6K MX$438.6K

46.81%

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

$170 COP 547.5K

$46.01 MX$854

268.72%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$32.95 MX$612

-58.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$29.62 MX$550

-5.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.0K

$32.11 MX$596

36.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$19.37 MX$360

-11.25%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$6.45 MX$120

7.13%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$206 MX$3,817

287.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$4,436 MX$82.4K

105.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.4K

$52.5 MX$975

61.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.0K

$45.76 MX$850

26.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.5K

$103 MX$1,909

31.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.8K

$69.7 MX$1,295

40.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$572 MX$10.6K

111.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$428 MX$7,946

49.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$893 MX$16.6K

127.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$668 MX$12.4K

51.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$2,110 MX$39.2K

97.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$1,092 MX$20.3K

75.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

12.07

-9.36%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for San Luis Rio Colorado: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

San Luis Rio Colorado

$428 34.8% 33.3% $214

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

San Luis Rio Colorado

$263 21.4% 11.4% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

San Luis Rio Colorado

$109 8.8% 48.6% $103

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

San Luis Rio Colorado

$213 17.4% 25.9% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

San Luis Rio Colorado

$122 9.9% 27.9% $47

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

San Luis Rio Colorado

$49 4% 47.6% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

San Luis Rio Colorado

$45 3.7% 21.8% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $572 in San Luis Rio Colorado. 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 in Medellin versus $33 in San Luis Rio Colorado. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $263 – making San Luis Rio Colorado the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇲🇽 San Luis Rio Colorado

🕒 Local time

22:30 10:30 PM

20:30 8:30 PM

2 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

176,685

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

100 MXN = 5.38 USD

100 MXN = 4.8 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 November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 3,227 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,617 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.57 MXN (100 MXN = 5.38 USD). 1 EUR = 20.81 MXN (100 MXN = 4.8 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin San Luis Rio Colorado 4,990 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
San Luis Rio Colorado

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 Luis Rio Colorado: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 33%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,843 in San Luis Rio Colorado. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Luis Rio Colorado, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $572 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $33 in San Luis Rio Colorado. 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 $1,229 in San Luis Rio Colorado. That makes San Luis Rio Colorado about 25% cheaper.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,639 in Medellin and $1,229 in San Luis Rio Colorado. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward San Luis Rio Colorado – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, San Luis Rio Colorado is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 25% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.