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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,013 per month in Medellin vs $991 in Tehuacan, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,602 per month in Medellin vs $1,586 in Tehuacan, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,192 per month in Medellin vs $2,181 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

$5.99 COP 21.5K

$4.67 MX$81.6

28.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 118.1K

$26.38 MX$461

24.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.5K

$5.71 MX$99.7

24.17%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,154

$2.62 MX$45.69

-34.73%

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

$1.10 COP 3,949

$1.35 MX$23.59

-18.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,798

$0.82 MX$14.31

-4.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 6,035

$1.70 MX$29.69

-1.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$3.75 MX$65.5

-18.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,930

$1.46 MX$25.42

-25.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,536

$1.67 MX$29.21

-24.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,953

$1.41 MX$24.71

-2.13%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,876

$1.70 MX$29.62

28.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.8K

$6.19 MX$108

-28.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.2K

$6.08 MX$106

-7.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 32.0K

$9.69 MX$169

-8.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,401

$2.05 MX$35.80

14.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,801

$1.30 MX$22.62

-18.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,408

$1.56 MX$27.21

-3.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,955

$1.56 MX$27.28

-11.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,137

$2.05 MX$35.77

-43.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,181

$1.52 MX$26.46

-23.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,202

$0.99 MX$17.22

-10.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 3,016

$0.64 MX$11.25

31.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,196

$4.04 MX$70.6

-43.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.2K

$15.85 MX$277

-32.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,311

$0.72 MX$12.51

66.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,880

$1.09 MX$19.07

126.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,075

$0.61 MX$10.63

40.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 148.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,297

$1.32 MX$23.01

11.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,053

$0.30 MX$5.27

553.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.8K

$5.44 MX$95.1

42.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,430

$1.21 MX$21.05

-21.49%

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

$18.1K COP 65.2M

$18.8K MX$328.4K

-3.58%

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

$26.5K COP 95.2M

$23.3K MX$407.5K

13.52%

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

$82.3 COP 295.6K

$41.01 MX$716

100.56%

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

$9.50 COP 34.1K

$27.43 MX$479

-65.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 87.1K

$20.75 MX$362

16.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 93.0K

$36.39 MX$636

-28.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 68.3K

$16.03 MX$280

18.53%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.1K

$4.35 MX$75.9

-9.66%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$426 MX$7,434

-27.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.4M

$3,628 MX$63.4K

64.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 210.8K

$58.3 MX$1,018

0.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 116.2K

$45.17 MX$789

-28.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 368.7K

$103 MX$1,795

-0.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 389.6K

$106 MX$1,858

1.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$505 MX$8,818

-5.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$392 MX$6,848

-3.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$936 MX$16.4K

-10.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$774 MX$13.5K

-6.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

$1,971 MX$34.4K

41.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.4M

$1,281 MX$22.4K

-5.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Tehuacan: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $476 in Medellin versus $505 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 – $188 in Medellin vs $212 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 $1,519 per month in Medellin and $1,487 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 13% 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 $991, than in Medellin at $1,013. 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.