Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Villahermosa

For one person, living is cheaper in Villahermosa: $1,219 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Villahermosa, Mexico
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Villahermosa
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,219
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Villahermosa

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,219 in Villahermosa, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Villahermosa $1,219

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $2,057 in Villahermosa, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Villahermosa $2,057

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,895 in Villahermosa, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Villahermosa $2,895

Medellin costs about 34% more than Villahermosa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Villahermosa is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Villahermosa
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 26.1K
$10.57 MX$198
-23.46%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 151.9K
$35.43 MX$664
32.80%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.7K
$10.57 MX$198
-10.12%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,734
$3.38 MX$63.3
-10.95%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,809
$1.23 MX$22.97
46.34%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,560
$1.17 MX$21.94
20.51%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 10.3K
$2.84 MX$53.3
11.97%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.6K
$5.36 MX$100
7.28%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Villahermosa
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,875
$1.73 MX$32.42
-12.72%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,677
$1.75 MX$32.72
36.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,719
$1.31 MX$24.60
35.11%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,332
$1.92 MX$35.93
50.52%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.9K
$8.45 MX$158
20.59%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.9K
$10.51 MX$197
-6.09%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 45.2K
$13.38 MX$251
4.56%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.8K
$3.39 MX$63.6
17.11%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 5,011
$1.38 MX$25.89
12.32%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,047
$1.64 MX$30.81
32.93%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,050
$1.18 MX$22.08
84.75%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,336
$1.65 MX$30.84
18.79%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,131
$1.34 MX$25.03
18.66%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,698
$1.31 MX$24.64
-12.21%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 4,014
$1.24 MX$23.27
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.8K
$6.42 MX$120
-38.32%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 44.2K
$9.62 MX$180
42.20%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,359
$2.70 MX$50.7
-38.52%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,290
$6.42 MX$120
-64.80%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Villahermosa
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,770
$0.55 MX$10.36
112.73%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 249.8K
$23.50 MX$440
229.23%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 4,094
$2.14 MX$40.07
-40.65%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,611
$2.17 MX$40.70
-5.53%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 27.6K
$10.82 MX$203
-20.98%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,348
$1.35 MX$25.31
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 110.0M
$22.9K MX$428.3K
49.04%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 111.9M
$26.6K MX$498.2K
30.41%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Villahermosa
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 547.7K
$62.4 MX$1,170
171.70%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 43.7K
$28.41 MX$532
-52.31%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 90.6K
$32.67 MX$612
-14.08%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Villahermosa
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 141.1K
$50.0 MX$937
-12.60%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 55.5K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 22.3K
$4.32 MX$81.0
59.95%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Villahermosa
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.6M
$303 MX$5,674
163.11%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 29.4M
$4,331 MX$81.2K
110.40%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Villahermosa
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 273.5K
$63.7 MX$1,195
32.91%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 187.1K
-
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 435.7K
$75.6 MX$1,417
78.54%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 316.0K
$58.1 MX$1,089
68.42%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Villahermosa
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.9M
$476 MX$8,915
153.88%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.1M
$441 MX$8,266
45.44%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.5M
$1,589 MX$29.8K
27.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.3M
$1,159 MX$21.7K
-12.69%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.5M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.2M
$1,205 MX$22.6K
58.55%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Villahermosa
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
0
-

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Villahermosa: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Villahermosa
$441 31.2% $200
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Villahermosa
$277 6.8% $20
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Villahermosa
$124 41.5% $88
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Villahermosa
$191 12.8% $22
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Villahermosa
$89 * 47.4% $80
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Villahermosa
$39 58.6% $55
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Villahermosa
$59 1.9% $1.1

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $476 in Villahermosa. 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 $35 in Villahermosa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $277 – making Villahermosa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇲🇽 Villahermosa
🕒 Local time
14:10 2:10 PM
13:10 1:10 PM
1 h behind Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
340,060
💱 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 = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 20.91 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Villahermosa 2,290 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Villahermosa

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 Villahermosa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Villahermosa cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 34%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,828 in Villahermosa. 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 Villahermosa, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $476 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Villahermosa?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $35 in Villahermosa. 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 Villahermosa?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $1,219 in Villahermosa. That makes Villahermosa about 26% cheaper.
Is $2,000 enough for either Medellin or Villahermosa?
$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,639 in Medellin and $1,219 in Villahermosa, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is Medellin or Villahermosa more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Villahermosa – 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, Villahermosa is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 26% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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