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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,013 per month in Medellin vs $1,249 in Tijuana, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,602 per month in Medellin vs $1,983 in Tijuana, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,192 per month in Medellin vs $2,716 in Tijuana, rent included.

Medellin is about 19% cheaper than Tijuana, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Medellin and Tijuana are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 24% lower, Tijuana 7% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$12.24 MX$212

-51.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.4K

$31.89 MX$552

3.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$8.09 MX$140

-12.36%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,115

$3.78 MX$65.4

-54.76%

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

$1.10 COP 3,924

$1.16 MX$20.01

-5.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,781

$0.95 MX$16.48

-17.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,997

$2.90 MX$50.1

-42.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$5.06 MX$87.6

-39.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,906

$1.57 MX$27.08

-30.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,508

$2.45 MX$42.41

-48.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,922

$1.83 MX$31.61

-24.59%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,827

$3.12 MX$54.0

-29.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$7.70 MX$133

-42.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$5.89 MX$102

-4.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.8K

$10.24 MX$177

-13.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,349

$2.60 MX$44.92

-10.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,777

$1.55 MX$26.73

-31.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,374

$1.83 MX$31.63

-18.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,924

$1.59 MX$27.43

-13.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,111

$1.68 MX$29.10

-31.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,155

$1.78 MX$30.82

-34.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,182

$1.06 MX$18.42

-16.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,997

$0.99 MX$17.06

-15.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,145

$4.21 MX$72.8

-45.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.0K

$8.57 MX$148

24.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,284

$1.92 MX$33.28

-37.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,824

$3.24 MX$56.1

-23.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,056

$0.96 MX$16.69

-10.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.9K

$18.90 MX$327

119.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,264

$2.75 MX$47.55

-46.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,009

$3.00 MX$51.9

-34.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$3.11 MX$53.7

148.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,409

$1.31 MX$22.73

-27.48%

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

$18.1K COP 64.7M

$23.4K MX$405.0K

-22.56%

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

$26.5K COP 94.6M

$20.8K MX$360.0K

27.27%

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

$82.3 COP 293.7K

$55.9 MX$967

47.16%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$27.47 MX$475

-65.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.5K

$31.44 MX$544

-22.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.4K

$37.65 MX$651

-31.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.9K

$20.08 MX$347

-5.38%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$4.60 MX$79.5

-14.57%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$204 MX$3,528

51.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$2,729 MX$47.2K

118.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.5K

$43.70 MX$756

34.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.5K

$35.19 MX$609

-8.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 366.4K

$87.9 MX$1,521

16.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 387.2K

$69.3 MX$1,198

56.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$788 MX$13.6K

-39.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$503 MX$8,705

-24.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$1,525 MX$26.4K

-45.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$966 MX$16.7K

-25.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

$3,295 MX$57.0K

-15.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$2,914 MX$50.4K

-58.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$938 MX$16.2K

-45.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

11.8

13.81%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Tijuana: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $476 in Medellin versus $788 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 83% higher in Tijuana, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin versus $32.00 in Tijuana. Groceries tell a different story – $188 in Medellin vs $239 in Tijuana – 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 Tijuana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tijuana is pricier by about 23%, 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 $1,519 per month in Medellin and $1,874 in Tijuana. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, 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 $32.00 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 $1,013 in Medellin and $1,249 in Tijuana. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,013, than in Tijuana at $1,249. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tijuana it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Medellin – 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 Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Tijuana makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.