Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Tehuacan Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Tehuacan

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,018 per month in Medellin vs $994 in Tehuacan, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,609 per month in Medellin vs $1,586 in Tehuacan, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,200 per month in Medellin vs $2,177 in Tehuacan, rent included.

Medellin costs about 2% more than Tehuacan, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Medellin and Tehuacan are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 24% lower, Tehuacan 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.93 COP 19.0K

$4.86 MX$84.6

22.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.12 COP 106.0K

$26.19 MX$456

26.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.12 COP 22.8K

$5.65 MX$98.3

26.02%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 5,457

$2.56 MX$44.58

-33.20%

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

$1.05 COP 3,356

$1.30 MX$22.57

-19.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,311

$0.81 MX$14.01

-11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,502

$1.71 MX$29.67

0.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.2K

$3.73 MX$64.9

-15.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,408

$1.46 MX$25.47

-27.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,192

$1.68 MX$29.17

-22.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 COP 4,256

$1.37 MX$23.81

-2.92%

Eggs

$2.28 COP 7,298

$1.69 MX$29.40

34.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.42 COP 14.1K

$6.48 MX$113

-31.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.92 COP 18.9K

$5.82 MX$101

1.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 27.7K

$9.77 MX$170

-11.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 7,504

$2.16 MX$37.60

8.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 COP 3,527

$1.28 MX$22.29

-14.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 COP 4,698

$1.54 MX$26.76

-4.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,415

$1.62 MX$28.16

-14.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,754

$2.12 MX$36.84

-44.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,744

$1.47 MX$25.54

-20.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,890

$0.98 MX$17.02

-8.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,693

$0.66 MX$11.43

27.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 7,449

$4.18 MX$72.7

-44.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.92 COP 38.1K

$17.34 MX$302

-31.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 COP 3,673

$0.72 MX$12.52

59.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 COP 7,749

$1.05 MX$18.20

130.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,687

$0.62 MX$10.79

35.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 130.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,517

$1.32 MX$22.92

6.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,127

$0.30 MX$5.28

536.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.83 COP 25.0K

$5.47 MX$95.2

43.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,020

$1.21 MX$21.04

-22.31%

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

$17.8K COP 57.0M

$18.9K MX$328.4K

-5.58%

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

$27.1K COP 86.7M

$23.1K MX$402.1K

17.19%

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

$83.3 COP 266.4K

$40.15 MX$699

107.37%

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

$9.66 COP 30.9K

$27.57 MX$480

-64.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.22 COP 77.5K

$20.91 MX$364

15.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.22 COP 80.7K

$36.36 MX$633

-30.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.33 COP 61.9K

$15.99 MX$278

20.89%

Cinema Ticket

$4.07 COP 13.0K

$4.32 MX$75.1

-5.79%

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

$307 COP 981.2K

$430 MX$7,477

-28.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,981 COP 19.1M

$3,636 MX$63.3K

64.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 191.9K

$57.2 MX$995

4.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.65 COP 104.5K

$45.80 MX$797

-28.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 323.5K

$104 MX$1,814

-3.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 345.7K

$108 MX$1,883

-0.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.5M

$519 MX$9,030

-8.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.2M

$389 MX$6,770

-2.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$816 COP 2.6M

$943 MX$16.4K

-13.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$707 COP 2.3M

$774 MX$13.5K

-8.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,190 COP 10.2M

$1,870 MX$32.5K

70.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,446 COP 4.6M

$1,216 MX$21.2K

18.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$622 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

11.34

18.43%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 20, 2026

Last update for Tehuacan: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $476 in Medellin versus $519 in Tehuacan. 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 $33.00 in Medellin versus $26.00 in Tehuacan. Groceries tell a different story – $192 in Medellin vs $216 in Tehuacan – 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 Tehuacan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 2%, 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 $1,527 per month in Medellin and $1,492 in Tehuacan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tehuacan, 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 $33.00 in Medellin and $26.00 in Tehuacan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 12% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Tehuacan, where all-in costs run around $994, than in Medellin at $1,018. In Tehuacan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tehuacan – 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 Tehuacan. 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.