Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Tampico

For one person, living is cheaper in Tampico: $1,304 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 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
63

Cost of Living Index in Tampico
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Tampico Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Tampico

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,304

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Tampico

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,304 in Tampico, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Tampico $1,304

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $2,065 in Tampico, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Tampico $2,065

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,825 in Tampico, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Tampico $2,825

Medellin costs about 26% more than Tampico, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Tampico is 4% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$8.28 MX$156

-2.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$54.0 MX$1,015

-12.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$9.58 MX$180

-0.84%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$2.97 MX$55.8

1.35%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$1.19 MX$22.43

51.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$0.84 MX$15.83

67.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$4.43 MX$83.3

-28.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$4.79 MX$90.1

20.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$1.45 MX$27.29

4.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$3.98 MX$74.9

-40.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$1.37 MX$25.84

29.20%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$3.98 MX$74.8

-27.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$4.94 MX$92.9

106.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$9.76 MX$183

1.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$12.90 MX$242

8.45%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$3.41 MX$64.0

16.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$1.10 MX$20.60

40.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$2.01 MX$37.72

8.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$2.18 MX$40.96

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$2.04 MX$38.31

-3.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$2.69 MX$50.5

-40.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$2.08 MX$39.16

-44.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.87 MX$16.29

42.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$4.68 MX$87.9

-15.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$1.53 MX$28.72

8.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$0.75 MX$14.06

56.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$27.24 MX$512

184.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$2.65 MX$49.76

-52.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

$2.68 MX$50.3

-23.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$5.10 MX$95.8

67.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$1.38 MX$25.97

-2.17%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$32.1K MX$602.9K

6.20%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$23.9K MX$449.4K

44.98%

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$102 MX$1,916

66.39%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$27.25 MX$512

-50.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$23.53 MX$442

19.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$43.28 MX$813

0.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$16.27 MX$306

5.65%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$5.41 MX$102

27.73%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$269 MX$5,060

195.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$7,934 MX$149.1K

14.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$73.5 MX$1,380

15.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

$65.9 MX$1,238

-12.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

$161 MX$3,017

-15.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$239 MX$4,493

-59.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$508 MX$9,546

137.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$380 MX$7,136

68.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$932 MX$17.5K

117.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$662 MX$12.4K

52.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$539 MX$10.1K

21.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Tampico: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Tampico

$380 29.1% 40.8% $262

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Tampico

$258 * 19.8% 13% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Tampico

$153 11.7% 27.7% $59

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Tampico

$171 13.1% 0.5% $0.9

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Tampico

$243 18.6% 43.5% $74

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Tampico

$46 3.6% 50.6% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Tampico

$54 4.2% 6% $3.4

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $508 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 22% 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 $47 in Medellin versus $54 in Tampico. Groceries tell a different story – $297 in Medellin vs $258 in Tampico – so Tampico wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇲🇽 Tampico

🕒 Local time

03:49 3:49 AM

02:49 2:49 AM

1 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

297,562

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.77 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.79 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 20.97 MXN (100 MXN = 4.77 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Tampico 2,970 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Tampico

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 Tampico: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 26%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,956 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $508 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $54 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 $1,639 in Medellin and $1,304 in Tampico. That makes Tampico about 20% cheaper.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,639 in Medellin and $1,304 in Tampico, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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 or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.