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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,716 per month in Medellin vs $1,325 in Tehuacan, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,527 per month in Medellin vs $2,178 in Tehuacan, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,338 per month in Medellin vs $3,030 in Tehuacan, rent included.

Medellin costs about 30% more than Tehuacan, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Tehuacan is 4% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.1K

$11.71 MX$198

-31.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 150.8K

$53.2 MX$898

-9.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.5K

$11.08 MX$187

-11.82%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,095

$4.06 MX$68.5

-28.33%

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

$1.94 COP 6,074

$1.73 MX$29.20

12.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,754

$1.32 MX$22.27

15.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,663

$3.47 MX$58.5

-10.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 17.9K

$5.91 MX$99.8

-2.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,262

$1.89 MX$31.93

-28.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,460

$3.30 MX$55.7

-27.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,314

$2.07 MX$34.90

-17.87%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 8,967

$3.06 MX$51.6

-6.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.1K

$12.79 MX$216

-22.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.7K

$10.21 MX$172

5.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.0K

$16.18 MX$273

-8.96%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$3.36 MX$56.7

21.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,911

$2.11 MX$35.58

-25.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,642

$2.18 MX$36.76

-2.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,917

$2.45 MX$41.38

-9.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,396

$2.16 MX$36.48

-5.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,700

$1.97 MX$33.19

-23.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,718

$1.60 MX$27.02

-25.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,619

$1.37 MX$23.12

-15.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$5.50 MX$92.8

-29.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.1K

$17.32 MX$292

-16.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,948

$2.12 MX$35.79

-25.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,836

$4.73 MX$79.8

-40.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,650

$0.64 MX$10.85

82.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 242.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,014

$2.09 MX$35.34

-38.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,537

$0.56 MX$9.47

273.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 26.9K

$6.03 MX$102

42.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,056

$1.39 MX$23.52

-6.47%

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

$27.7K COP 86.4M

$22.9K MX$386.2K

20.88%

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

$35.5K COP 110.9M

$26.6K MX$449.0K

33.47%

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

$176 COP 550.1K

$65.1 MX$1,099

170.50%

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

$13.37 COP 41.8K

$30.13 MX$509

-55.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 93.4K

$37.27 MX$629

-19.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 139.8K

$33.25 MX$561

34.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.3K

$23.13 MX$390

-26.24%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.4K

$7.21 MX$122

-14.01%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$457 MX$7,718

73.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.2M

$4,995 MX$84.3K

80.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 267.5K

$75.2 MX$1,269

13.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 182.7K

$56.5 MX$954

3.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 425.9K

$116 MX$1,961

17.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 322.2K

$123 MX$2,083

-16.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$682 MX$11.5K

55.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$451 MX$7,610

50.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$1,247 MX$21.0K

61.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$886 MX$15.0K

31.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.8M

$1,963 MX$33.1K

109.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$1,250 MX$21.1K

36.13%

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 Tehuacan: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,060 in Medellin versus $682 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $53.0 in Tehuacan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $303 vs $349 – making Medellin 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 Tehuacan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 30%, 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 $1,988 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 $48.00 in Medellin and $53.0 in Tehuacan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 15% 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 $1,325, than in Medellin at $1,716. 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.