Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Tlalnepantla

For one person, living is cheaper in Tlalnepantla: $1,115 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 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
53

Cost of Living Index in Tlalnepantla
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Tlalnepantla Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Tlalnepantla

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,115

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Tlalnepantla

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 Tlalnepantla actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,115 in Tlalnepantla, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Tlalnepantla $1,115

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,943 in Tlalnepantla, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Tlalnepantla $1,943

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,772 in Tlalnepantla, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Tlalnepantla $2,772

Medellin costs about 47% more than Tlalnepantla, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Tlalnepantla is 18% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$10.57 MX$196

-23.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.8K

$49.17 MX$913

-4.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$9.15 MX$170

3.83%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,729

$3.69 MX$68.5

-18.43%

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

$1.80 COP 5,806

$1.55 MX$28.75

16.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,558

$1.06 MX$19.69

33.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

$3.27 MX$60.8

-2.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$5.49 MX$102

4.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,873

$1.72 MX$31.92

-12.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,673

$2.72 MX$50.6

-12.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,716

$1.98 MX$36.86

-10.61%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,327

$2.68 MX$49.84

7.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$9.38 MX$174

8.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$8.91 MX$165

10.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

$13.64 MX$253

2.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$3.19 MX$59.2

24.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,009

$1.58 MX$29.40

-1.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,044

$2.05 MX$38.01

6.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,047

$1.86 MX$34.54

17.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,333

$1.82 MX$33.76

7.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,129

$1.74 MX$32.29

-8.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,696

$1.50 MX$27.95

-23.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,012

$1.19 MX$22.03

4.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$4.42 MX$82.2

-10.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$15.85 MX$294

-13.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,356

$2.02 MX$37.47

-17.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,286

$3.79 MX$70.3

-40.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,769

$1.11 MX$20.55

5.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.7K

$29.99 MX$557

157.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,092

$3.31 MX$61.5

-61.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,608

$1.61 MX$29.88

27.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$5.30 MX$98.4

61.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,346

$1.51 MX$27.95

-10.60%

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

$34.1K COP 109.9M

$23.7K MX$440.6K

43.59%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$23.2K MX$430.4K

49.58%

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

$170 COP 547.5K

$57.4 MX$1,065

195.76%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$26.68 MX$495

-49.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$35.56 MX$660

-21.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.0K

$36.38 MX$676

20.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$21.44 MX$398

-19.82%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$6.60 MX$123

4.70%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$259 MX$4,808

207.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$5,049 MX$93.8K

80.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.4K

$51.5 MX$957

64.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.0K

$44.78 MX$832

29.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.5K

$97.0 MX$1,801

39.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.8K

$103 MX$1,910

-4.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$450 MX$8,352

168.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$274 MX$5,091

134.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$625 MX$11.6K

224.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$804 MX$14.9K

25.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$1,807 MX$33.6K

130.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$966 MX$17.9K

97.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$982 MX$18.2K

-33.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.35

-3.61%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Tlalnepantla: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Tlalnepantla

$274 24.6% 57.3% $367

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Tlalnepantla

$298 26.8% 0.4% $1.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Tlalnepantla

$120 10.7% 43.4% $92

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Tlalnepantla

$194 17.4% 14.4% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Tlalnepantla

$133 12% 21.2% $36

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Tlalnepantla

$46 4.1% 51.1% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Tlalnepantla

$50 4.5% 13.8% $8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $450 in Tlalnepantla. 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 49% higher in Tlalnepantla, 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 $47 in Medellin versus $49 in Tlalnepantla. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $298 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇲🇽 Tlalnepantla

🕒 Local time

00:01 12:01 AM

23:01 11:01 PM

1 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

653,410

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

100 MXN = 5.38 USD

100 MXN = 4.8 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 November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 3,227 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,617 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.57 MXN (100 MXN = 5.38 USD). 1 EUR = 20.81 MXN (100 MXN = 4.8 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Tlalnepantla 2,950 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Tlalnepantla

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 Tlalnepantla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 47%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,672 in Tlalnepantla. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tlalnepantla, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $450 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $49 in Tlalnepantla. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Public transport costs about 61% less in Tlalnepantla. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,639 in Medellin and $1,115 in Tlalnepantla, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Tlalnepantla – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.