Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Tijuana Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Tijuana

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,716 per month in Medellin vs $1,389 in Tijuana, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,527 per month in Medellin vs $2,157 in Tijuana, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,338 per month in Medellin vs $2,924 in Tijuana, rent included.

Medellin costs about 24% more than Tijuana, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Medellin and Tijuana sit above the global median – Medellin by 25%, Tijuana by 1%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.1K

$12.70 MX$215

-36.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 150.8K

$36.68 MX$620

31.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.5K

$10.70 MX$181

-8.69%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,095

$4.52 MX$76.4

-35.62%

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

$1.94 COP 6,074

$1.44 MX$24.28

34.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,754

$1.24 MX$21.03

22.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,663

$3.63 MX$61.4

-14.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 17.9K

$7.03 MX$119

-18.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,262

$1.99 MX$33.58

-31.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,460

$3.10 MX$52.4

-22.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,314

$1.91 MX$32.28

-10.99%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 8,967

$3.49 MX$58.9

-17.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.1K

$8.59 MX$145

15.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.7K

$7.87 MX$133

36.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.0K

$12.58 MX$213

17.09%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$3.05 MX$51.5

34.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,911

$1.77 MX$29.83

-11.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,642

$2.09 MX$35.24

1.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,917

$1.67 MX$28.21

32.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,396

$1.62 MX$27.29

26.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,700

$2.01 MX$33.90

-25.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,718

$1.61 MX$27.29

-26.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,619

$1.09 MX$18.50

6.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$4.60 MX$77.8

-15.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.1K

$8.57 MX$145

68.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,948

$2.36 MX$39.96

-33.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,836

$4.38 MX$74.0

-35.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,650

$1.19 MX$20.14

-1.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 242.9K

$33.11 MX$560

134.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,014

$3.11 MX$52.5

-58.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,537

$2.32 MX$39.28

-9.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 26.9K

$20.62 MX$348

-58.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,056

$1.58 MX$26.78

-17.72%

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

$27.7K COP 86.4M

$22.9K MX$386.8K

20.84%

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

$35.5K COP 110.9M

$25.7K MX$435.0K

37.93%

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

$176 COP 550.1K

$51.4 MX$869

242.35%

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

$13.37 COP 41.8K

$36.50 MX$617

-63.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 93.4K

$32.47 MX$549

-7.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 139.8K

$42.53 MX$719

5.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.3K

$8.67 MX$147

96.77%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.4K

$7.02 MX$119

-11.68%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$221 MX$3,730

259.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.2M

$5,034 MX$85.1K

79.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 267.5K

$57.0 MX$963

50.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 182.7K

$48.55 MX$820

20.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 425.9K

$108 MX$1,833

25.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 322.2K

$75.2 MX$1,271

37.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$938 MX$15.9K

12.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$512 MX$8,647

32.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$1,641 MX$27.7K

22.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$940 MX$15.9K

24.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.8M

$3,312 MX$56.0K

24.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$2,975 MX$50.3K

-42.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

$1,015 MX$17.2K

-34.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

12.07

-9.36%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Tijuana: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,060 in Medellin versus $938 in Tijuana. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 53% higher in Tijuana, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $37.00 in Tijuana. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $303 vs $284 – making Tijuana 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 Tijuana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 24%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. 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 $2,084 in Tijuana. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tijuana, 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 $37.00 in Tijuana. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,716 in Medellin and $1,389 in Tijuana. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Tijuana, where all-in costs run around $1,389, than in Medellin at $1,716. In Tijuana it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tijuana – 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 Tijuana. 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.