Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Tampico Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Tampico

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,681 per month in Medellin vs $1,326 in Tampico, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,445 per month in Medellin vs $2,040 in Tampico, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,210 per month in Medellin vs $2,754 in Tampico, rent included.

Medellin costs about 27% more than Tampico, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Medellin sits 23% above the global median, while Tampico is 3% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$8.55 MX$147

-6.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$45.85 MX$791

4.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$8.64 MX$149

14.47%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$3.23 MX$55.6

-3.10%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$1.34 MX$23.10

42.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.90 MX$15.48

67.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$2.95 MX$50.9

5.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$4.32 MX$74.6

33.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.60 MX$27.62

-10.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$4.43 MX$76.4

-43.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$1.49 MX$25.68

18.79%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$4.36 MX$75.2

-32.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$5.33 MX$92.0

88.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$10.84 MX$187

-6.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$14.22 MX$245

0.56%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$3.65 MX$62.9

13.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.27 MX$21.82

26.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$2.26 MX$39.05

-0.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$2.39 MX$41.22

-5.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$2.27 MX$39.11

-10.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$3.02 MX$52.1

-49.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$2.28 MX$39.27

-48.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.95 MX$16.39

37.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$4.56 MX$78.7

-14.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$11.16 MX$192

25.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.97 MX$34.00

-11.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$3.14 MX$54.1

-8.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.84 MX$14.42

45.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$29.39 MX$507

173.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$2.73 MX$47.00

-52.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$2.88 MX$49.58

-23.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$12.02 MX$207

-27.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.42 MX$24.52

-3.52%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$34.8K MX$599.9K

-20.00%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$25.5K MX$439.6K

40.32%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$61.5 MX$1,060

188.29%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$29.63 MX$511

-53.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$25.15 MX$434

18.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$45.40 MX$783

-1.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$17.20 MX$297

-0.47%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$5.51 MX$95.0

20.69%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$246 MX$4,236

230.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$4,846 MX$83.6K

89.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$78.8 MX$1,359

13.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$70.7 MX$1,218

-16.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$178 MX$3,070

-22.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$90.9 MX$1,567

12.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$558 MX$9,623

90.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$412 MX$7,099

61.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$1,092 MX$18.8K

72.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$701 MX$12.1K

46.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$1,810 MX$31.2K

131.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$1,393 MX$24.0K

20.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$587 MX$10.1K

15.55%

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: September 14, 2026

Last update for Tampico: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,062 in Medellin versus $558 in Tampico. 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 16% 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 Tampico. Groceries tell a different story – $305 in Medellin vs $315 in Tampico – 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 Tampico: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 27%, 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 $2,521 per month in Medellin and $1,989 in Tampico. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,681 in Medellin and $1,326 in Tampico. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tampico, where all-in costs run around $1,326, than in Medellin at $1,681. In Tampico it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tampico – 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 Tampico. 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.