Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Tlajomulco de Zúñiga

For one person, living is cheaper in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga: $1,120 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga
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Tlajomulco de Zúñiga Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Tlajomulco de Zúñiga

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,120

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,625 per month in Medellin vs $1,120 in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga, rent included.

Medellin $1,625
Tlajomulco de Zúñiga $1,120

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Medellin vs $1,802 in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga, rent included.

Medellin $2,412
Tlajomulco de Zúñiga $1,802

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Medellin vs $2,484 in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga, rent included.

Medellin $3,199
Tlajomulco de Zúñiga $2,484

Medellin costs about 45% more than Tlajomulco de Zúñiga, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Tlajomulco de Zúñiga is 17% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$13.43 MX$248

-38.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$43.20 MX$798

8.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$9.12 MX$168

1.32%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$3.22 MX$59.6

-5.28%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$1.65 MX$30.57

9.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$1.15 MX$21.18

20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$2.13 MX$39.33

52.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$4.91 MX$90.7

13.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$1.61 MX$29.82

-6.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$2.61 MX$48.26

-9.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$1.55 MX$28.61

9.68%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$2.42 MX$44.78

22.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$8.88 MX$164

15.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$8.37 MX$155

16.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$10.30 MX$190

34.95%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$2.38 MX$43.98

73.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$1.55 MX$28.71

-1.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$1.32 MX$24.48

68.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$1.32 MX$24.44

71.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$1.66 MX$30.76

19.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$1.11 MX$20.45

50.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$1.51 MX$27.82

-21.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$1.00 MX$18.48

24.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$4.37 MX$80.8

-11.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

$9.52 MX$176

44.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$1.64 MX$30.34

1.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$3.29 MX$60.8

-27.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

$0.67 MX$12.40

85.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

$2.23 MX$41.14

-42.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

$1.32 MX$24.48

62.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

$11.82 MX$218

-29.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$1.34 MX$24.84

0.75%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

$21.2K MX$392.1K

63.84%

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

$23.1K MX$426.9K

50.15%

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$49.69 MX$918

235.38%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$22.89 MX$423

-40.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$21.65 MX$400

34.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

$34.43 MX$636

30.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

$19.83 MX$366

-13.36%

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

$3.22 MX$59.6

116.46%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$256 MX$4,739

208.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

$10.7K MX$197.2K

-15.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$58.4 MX$1,080

50.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$40.50 MX$748

43.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$104 MX$1,927

33.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$81.2 MX$1,500

21.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$596 MX$11.0K

72.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$391 MX$7,219

58.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$1,031 MX$19.1K

82.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$751 MX$13.9K

34.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

$1,802 MX$33.3K

121.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$1,216 MX$22.5K

40.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$616 MX$11.4K

7.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

5.32

105.64%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Tlajomulco de Zúñiga: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Tlajomulco de Zúñiga

$391 34.9% 36.9% $229

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Tlajomulco de Zúñiga

$250 22.3% 16.2% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Tlajomulco de Zúñiga

$94 8.4% 55% $115

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Tlajomulco de Zúñiga

$128 11.4% 25.9% $45

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Tlajomulco de Zúñiga

$205 18.3% 20.1% $34

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Tlajomulco de Zúñiga

$12 * 1% 87.9% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Tlajomulco de Zúñiga

$41 3.7% 30.7% $18

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $596 in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga. 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 8% higher in Medellin, 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 $47.00 in Medellin versus $43.00 in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $298 vs $250 – making Tlajomulco de Zúñiga the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇲🇽 Tlajomulco de Zúñiga

🕒 Local time

03:50 3:50 AM

02:50 2:50 AM

1 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

44,103

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Tlajomulco de Zúñiga 3,390 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Tlajomulco de Zúñiga

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Tlajomulco de Zúñiga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 45%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,437 per month in Medellin and $1,680 in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga, 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 $47.00 in Medellin and $43.00 in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 19% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Tlajomulco de Zúñiga, where all-in costs run around $1,120, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Tlajomulco de Zúñiga it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tlajomulco de Zúñiga – 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 Tlajomulco de Zúñiga. 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.