Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Tapachula Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Tapachula

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,716 per month in Medellin vs $1,199 in Tapachula, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,527 per month in Medellin vs $1,948 in Tapachula, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,338 per month in Medellin vs $2,698 in Tapachula, rent included.

Medellin costs about 43% more than Tapachula, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Tapachula is 13% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.1K

$10.65 MX$180

-24.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 150.8K

$43.44 MX$733

11.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.5K

$8.40 MX$142

16.31%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,095

$3.58 MX$60.4

-18.72%

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

$1.94 COP 6,074

$1.50 MX$25.27

29.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,754

$1.16 MX$19.63

31.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,663

$2.82 MX$47.51

9.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 17.9K

$3.95 MX$66.6

45.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,262

$1.79 MX$30.18

-24.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,460

$2.82 MX$47.63

-15.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,314

$1.82 MX$30.68

-6.59%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 8,967

$2.61 MX$43.98

9.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.1K

$9.08 MX$153

9.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.7K

$8.81 MX$149

22.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.0K

$12.52 MX$211

17.65%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$2.94 MX$49.64

39.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,911

$1.60 MX$26.95

-1.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,642

$1.91 MX$32.15

11.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,917

$1.96 MX$33.05

12.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,396

$2.06 MX$34.81

-0.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,700

$1.98 MX$33.42

-24.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,718

$1.63 MX$27.47

-26.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,619

$1.19 MX$20.08

-2.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$4.80 MX$80.9

-18.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.1K

$10.40 MX$176

38.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,948

$1.95 MX$32.93

-18.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,836

$3.46 MX$58.5

-18.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,650

$0.73 MX$12.35

60.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 242.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,014

$2.89 MX$48.85

-55.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,537

$2.24 MX$37.87

-6.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 26.9K

$11.93 MX$201

-27.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,056

$1.50 MX$25.30

-13.33%

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

$27.7K COP 86.4M

$23.5K MX$396.3K

17.80%

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

$35.5K COP 110.9M

$22.4K MX$377.8K

58.61%

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

$176 COP 550.1K

$71.3 MX$1,203

147.05%

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

$13.37 COP 41.8K

$22.47 MX$379

-40.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 93.4K

$29.40 MX$496

1.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 139.8K

$31.49 MX$532

42.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.3K

$18.45 MX$311

-7.53%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.4K

$5.98 MX$101

3.68%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$227 MX$3,832

249.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.2M

$4,749 MX$80.2K

89.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 267.5K

$66.3 MX$1,119

29.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 182.7K

$40.47 MX$683

44.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 425.9K

$95.1 MX$1,605

43.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 322.2K

$85.8 MX$1,447

20.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$719 MX$12.1K

47.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$451 MX$7,617

50.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$1,154 MX$19.5K

74.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$924 MX$15.6K

26.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.8M

$2,255 MX$38.1K

82.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$1,188 MX$20.1K

43.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 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: August 30, 2026

Last update for Tapachula: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,060 in Medellin versus $719 in Tapachula. 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $43.00 in Tapachula. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $303 vs $283 – making Tapachula the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Tapachula: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 43%, 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 $2,574 per month in Medellin and $1,798 in Tapachula. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 7% 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 Tapachula, where all-in costs run around $1,199, than in Medellin at $1,716. In Tapachula it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tapachula – 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 Tapachula. 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.