Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Todos Santos

For one person, living is cheaper in Todos Santos: $1,418 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Todos Santos, Mexico
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Todos Santos
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,418
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Todos Santos

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,418 in Todos Santos, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Todos Santos $1,418

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $2,111 in Todos Santos, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Todos Santos $2,111

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,804 in Todos Santos, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Todos Santos $2,804

Medellin costs about 16% more than Todos Santos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Medellin and Todos Santos sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Todos Santos by 4%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Todos Santos
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 26.1K
$10.71 MX$201
-24.46%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 151.9K
$42.31 MX$793
11.20%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.7K
$8.69 MX$163
9.32%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,734
$3.59 MX$67.2
-16.16%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,809
$1.35 MX$25.22
33.33%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,560
$0.99 MX$18.57
42.42%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 10.3K
$2.48 MX$46.51
28.23%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.6K
$4.00 MX$75.0
43.75%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Todos Santos
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,875
$1.58 MX$29.55
-4.43%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,677
$2.62 MX$49.09
-9.16%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,719
$1.52 MX$28.53
16.45%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,332
$2.47 MX$46.33
17.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.9K
$9.14 MX$171
11.49%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.9K
$9.37 MX$176
5.34%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 45.2K
$12.16 MX$228
15.05%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.8K
$2.73 MX$51.2
45.42%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 5,011
$1.48 MX$27.75
4.73%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,047
$1.94 MX$36.36
12.37%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,050
$1.76 MX$33.06
23.86%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,336
$1.97 MX$36.99
-0.51%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,131
$1.88 MX$35.18
-15.43%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,698
$1.46 MX$27.29
-21.23%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 4,014
$1.07 MX$20.09
15.89%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.8K
$4.19 MX$78.5
-5.49%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 44.2K
$10.10 MX$189
35.45%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,359
$1.74 MX$32.61
-4.60%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,290
$3.17 MX$59.4
-28.71%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Todos Santos
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,770
$0.74 MX$13.96
58.11%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 249.8K
$26.19 MX$491
195.42%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 4,094
$2.48 MX$46.42
-48.79%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,611
$1.99 MX$37.23
3.02%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 27.6K
$12.34 MX$231
-30.71%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,348
$1.24 MX$23.17
8.87%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 110.0M
$22.4K MX$420.3K
51.91%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 111.9M
$25.9K MX$484.9K
33.98%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Todos Santos
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 547.7K
$56.3 MX$1,055
201.33%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 43.7K
$22.51 MX$422
-39.80%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 90.6K
$28.54 MX$535
-1.65%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Todos Santos
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 141.1K
$34.45 MX$646
26.85%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 55.5K
$20.43 MX$383
-15.86%
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 22.3K
$4.75 MX$89.1
45.47%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Todos Santos
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.6M
$193 MX$3,609
313.66%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 29.4M
$4,019 MX$75.3K
126.73%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Todos Santos
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 273.5K
$47.93 MX$898
76.76%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 187.1K
$45.84 MX$859
26.44%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 435.7K
$90.5 MX$1,696
49.13%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 316.0K
$101 MX$1,892
-3.08%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Todos Santos
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.9M
$988 MX$18.5K
22.29%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.1M
$640 MX$12.0K
0.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.5M
$1,866 MX$35.0K
8.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.3M
$987 MX$18.5K
2.52%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.5M
$2,144 MX$40.2K
94.47%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.2M
$1,181 MX$22.1K
61.82%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Todos Santos
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
11.31
-3.27%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Todos Santos: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Todos Santos
$640 0.2% $1.2
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Todos Santos
$271 8.6% $26
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Todos Santos
$107 49.2% $104
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Todos Santos
$185 8.8% $15
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Todos Santos
$128 24% $41
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Todos Santos
$42 55.6% $52
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Todos Santos
$44 23.6% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $988 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 $47 in Medellin versus $42 in Todos Santos. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $271 – making Todos Santos the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇲🇽 Todos Santos
🕒 Local time
16:53 4:53 PM
14:53 2:53 PM
2 h behind Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
5,148
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,619 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 21 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Todos Santos 4,160 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Todos Santos

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 Todos Santos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Todos Santos cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 16%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $2,126 in Todos Santos. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Todos Santos, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $988 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Todos Santos?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $42 in Todos Santos. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Medellin and in Todos Santos?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $1,418 in Todos Santos. That makes Todos Santos about 14% cheaper.
Is $2,000 enough for either Medellin or Todos Santos?
$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,639 in Medellin and $1,418 in Todos Santos, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is Medellin or Todos Santos more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
For expats, Todos Santos is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 14% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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