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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,030 per month in Medellin vs $996 in Tehuacan, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,586 per month in Medellin vs $1,571 in Tehuacan, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,143 per month in Medellin vs $2,146 in Tehuacan, rent included.

Medellin costs about 3% more than Tehuacan, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Medellin and Tehuacan are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 23% lower, Tehuacan 26% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.2K

$4.74 MX$82.1

24.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.17 COP 118.7K

$26.75 MX$464

24.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.25 COP 25.9K

$5.41 MX$93.7

34.01%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,137

$2.66 MX$46.08

-35.71%

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

$1.09 COP 3,915

$1.33 MX$23.07

-18.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,743

$0.77 MX$13.36

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 COP 6,254

$1.77 MX$30.62

-1.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 11.4K

$3.78 MX$65.5

-15.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,792

$1.46 MX$25.35

-27.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,657

$1.68 MX$29.05

-22.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,926

$1.38 MX$23.86

Eggs

$2.21 COP 7,908

$1.69 MX$29.27

30.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.52 COP 16.2K

$6.39 MX$111

-29.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 COP 20.7K

$6.09 MX$106

-4.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 32.1K

$9.48 MX$164

-5.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 COP 8,182

$2.13 MX$36.95

7.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,791

$1.28 MX$22.18

-17.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 COP 5,411

$1.62 MX$28.15

-6.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,869

$1.62 MX$28.04

-16.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,146

$2.05 MX$35.47

-43.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,174

$1.45 MX$25.05

-19.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 COP 2,960

$0.98 MX$16.92

-15.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 COP 3,043

$0.66 MX$11.37

28.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.35 COP 8,423

$4.12 MX$71.3

-42.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.09 COP 39.7K

$14.40 MX$250

-22.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 COP 4,133

$0.66 MX$11.44

74.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,853

$1.08 MX$18.67

128.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,827

$0.60 MX$10.38

31.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.85 COP 149.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,140

$1.37 MX$23.78

5.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,793

$0.30 MX$5.27

533.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.70 COP 27.6K

$5.44 MX$94.4

41.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 COP 3,680

$1.25 MX$21.62

-17.60%

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

$17.7K COP 63.3M

$18.7K MX$324.0K

-5.41%

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

$27.0K COP 96.7M

$23.0K MX$399.0K

17.33%

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

$81.4 COP 291.4K

$40.91 MX$709

99.02%

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

$9.42 COP 33.7K

$26.82 MX$465

-64.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.77 COP 85.1K

$20.56 MX$356

15.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.86 COP 92.6K

$36.51 MX$633

-29.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.34 COP 69.2K

$16.13 MX$280

19.90%

Cinema Ticket

$4.05 COP 14.5K

$4.18 MX$72.4

-3.11%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$437 MX$7,573

-28.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,067 COP 21.7M

$3,616 MX$62.7K

67.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 COP 210.7K

$57.0 MX$988

3.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.82 COP 117.5K

$45.96 MX$796

-28.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 COP 359.6K

$102 MX$1,771

-1.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 COP 380.3K

$108 MX$1,873

-1.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 COP 1.8M

$508 MX$8,798

-3.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 COP 1.3M

$400 MX$6,939

-7.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$941 MX$16.3K

-10.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 COP 2.6M

$750 MX$13.0K

-4.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,952 COP 10.6M

$2,010 MX$34.8K

46.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,394 COP 5.0M

$1,281 MX$22.2K

8.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$532 COP 1.9M

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Tehuacan: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $490 in Medellin versus $508 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 in Medellin versus $27 in Tehuacan. Groceries tell a different story – $190 in Medellin vs $210 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 3%, 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 $1,544 per month in Medellin and $1,495 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 $27.00 in Tehuacan. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 10% 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 $996, than in Medellin at $1,030. 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.