Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Todos Santos Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Todos Santos

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,681 per month in Medellin vs $1,488 in Todos Santos, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,445 per month in Medellin vs $2,184 in Todos Santos, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,210 per month in Medellin vs $2,880 in Todos Santos, rent included.

Medellin costs about 13% more than Todos Santos, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Medellin and Todos Santos sit above the global median – Medellin by 23%, Todos Santos by 9%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.3K

$11.55 MX$198

-30.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 151.0K

$47.13 MX$809

1.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.2K

$9.16 MX$157

7.97%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,873

$3.70 MX$63.5

-15.41%

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

$1.91 COP 6,019

$1.48 MX$25.47

29.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,763

$1.14 MX$19.59

32.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,853

$2.88 MX$49.38

8.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$4.36 MX$74.9

31.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,558

$1.68 MX$28.86

-14.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,843

$2.84 MX$48.78

-12.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,595

$1.55 MX$26.65

14.19%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,336

$2.66 MX$45.70

11.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.8K

$9.74 MX$167

3.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.9K

$7.67 MX$132

31.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.1K

$13.02 MX$223

9.83%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.0K

$2.87 MX$49.27

44.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,073

$1.65 MX$28.33

-2.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,083

$2.02 MX$34.63

11.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,104

$1.90 MX$32.58

18.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,444

$2.15 MX$36.82

-5.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,842

$1.93 MX$33.13

-20.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,691

$1.52 MX$26.05

-23.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,121

$1.13 MX$19.48

15.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.3K

$4.75 MX$81.5

-17.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.2K

$11.16 MX$192

25.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,498

$1.90 MX$32.65

-8.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,053

$3.43 MX$58.9

-16.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,834

$0.71 MX$12.14

71.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 253.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,129

$3.06 MX$52.5

-57.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,899

$1.92 MX$32.95

14.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.5K

$12.93 MX$222

-32.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,306

$1.53 MX$26.22

-10.46%

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

$27.8K COP 87.8M

$20.3K MX$348.0K

37.31%

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

$35.8K COP 112.8M

$26.5K MX$454.8K

35.00%

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

$177 COP 559.3K

$62.7 MX$1,076

182.78%

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

$13.88 COP 43.8K

$23.81 MX$409

-41.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 93.8K

$32.17 MX$552

-7.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 141.6K

$32.54 MX$559

37.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.0K

$19.70 MX$338

-13.10%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.0K

$6.08 MX$104

9.38%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$261 MX$4,481

211.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.0M

$4,389 MX$75.3K

109.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 282.3K

$57.4 MX$985

55.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 186.0K

$46.45 MX$797

26.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 435.9K

$101 MX$1,730

37.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 322.1K

$83.5 MX$1,433

22.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$1,029 MX$17.7K

3.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$697 MX$12.0K

-4.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$2,060 MX$35.4K

-8.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$1,051 MX$18.0K

-2.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.2M

$1,716 MX$29.4K

143.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$1,086 MX$18.6K

54.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.3

-3.19%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Todos Santos: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,062 in Medellin versus $1,029 in Todos Santos. 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $47.00 in Todos Santos. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $305 vs $279 – making Todos Santos 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 Todos Santos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 13%, 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 $2,521 per month in Medellin and $2,232 in Todos Santos. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Todos Santos, 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 $47.00 in Todos Santos. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 9% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Todos Santos, where all-in costs run around $1,488, than in Medellin at $1,681. In Todos Santos it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Todos Santos. 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.