Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Zacapoaxtla Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Zacapoaxtla

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,018 per month in Medellin vs $761 in Zacapoaxtla, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,609 per month in Medellin vs $1,208 in Zacapoaxtla, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,200 per month in Medellin vs $1,656 in Zacapoaxtla, rent included.

Medellin costs about 34% more than Zacapoaxtla, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Medellin and Zacapoaxtla are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 24% lower, Zacapoaxtla 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.93 COP 19.1K

$4.43 MX$77.2

33.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.12 COP 106.5K

$21.54 MX$376

53.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.12 COP 22.9K

$5.23 MX$91.2

36.14%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 5,484

$2.55 MX$44.46

-32.94%

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

$1.05 COP 3,373

$0.94 MX$16.44

11.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,323

$1.08 MX$18.75

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,529

$1.27 MX$22.21

35.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.2K

$2.01 MX$34.97

57.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,425

$1.30 MX$22.60

-18.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,213

$1.40 MX$24.36

-6.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 COP 4,277

$1.43 MX$25.02

-6.99%

Eggs

$2.28 COP 7,334

$2.31 MX$40.30

-1.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.42 COP 14.2K

$3.24 MX$56.5

36.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.92 COP 19.0K

$4.67 MX$81.4

26.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 27.8K

$4.57 MX$79.8

89.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 7,541

$1.25 MX$21.74

87.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 COP 3,544

$1.08 MX$18.88

1.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 COP 4,721

$0.57 MX$9.88

157.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,437

$1.01 MX$17.58

36.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,772

$0.86 MX$15.01

36.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,763

$1.04 MX$18.18

12.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,904

$1.12 MX$19.46

-19.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,707

$0.93 MX$16.26

-9.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 7,486

$4.17 MX$72.7

-44.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.92 COP 38.3K

$13.92 MX$243

-14.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 COP 3,692

$1.12 MX$19.60

2.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 COP 7,787

$1.61 MX$28.08

50.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,700

$0.69 MX$12.09

21.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 131.3K

$41.82 MX$729

-2.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,539

$1.36 MX$23.75

3.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,157

$0.28 MX$4.88

582.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.83 COP 25.2K

$5.30 MX$92.5

47.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,035

$1.33 MX$23.26

-29.32%

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

$17.8K COP 57.3M

$13.4K MX$233.2K

33.22%

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

$27.1K COP 87.1M

$23.7K MX$413.8K

14.12%

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

$83.3 COP 267.8K

$40.06 MX$699

107.84%

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

$9.66 COP 31.1K

$26.21 MX$457

-63.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.22 COP 77.9K

$29.92 MX$522

-19.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.22 COP 81.1K

$35.38 MX$617

-28.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.33 COP 62.2K

$15.69 MX$274

23.20%

Cinema Ticket

$4.07 COP 13.1K

$2.58 MX$45.01

57.75%

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

$307 COP 986.0K

$208 MX$3,626

47.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,981 COP 19.2M

$3,605 MX$62.9K

65.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 192.8K

$18.22 MX$318

229.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.65 COP 105.0K

$24.13 MX$421

35.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 325.1K

$42.99 MX$750

135.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 347.5K

$34.86 MX$608

209.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.5M

$494 MX$8,608

-3.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.2M

$252 MX$4,401

50.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$816 COP 2.6M

$1,005 MX$17.5K

-18.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$707 COP 2.3M

$585 MX$10.2K

20.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,190 COP 10.3M

$1,865 MX$32.5K

71.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,446 COP 4.7M

$1,298 MX$22.6K

11.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$622 COP 2.0M

$626 MX$10.9K

-0.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

11.34

18.43%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 20, 2026

Last update for Zacapoaxtla: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $476 in Medellin versus $494 in Zacapoaxtla. 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 1% higher in Zacapoaxtla, 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 $33.00 in Medellin versus $22.00 in Zacapoaxtla. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $192 vs $166 – making Zacapoaxtla 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 Zacapoaxtla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 34%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,527 per month in Medellin and $1,141 in Zacapoaxtla. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zacapoaxtla, 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 $33.00 in Medellin and $22.00 in Zacapoaxtla. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,018 in Medellin and $761 in Zacapoaxtla. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Zacapoaxtla, where all-in costs run around $761, than in Medellin at $1,018. In Zacapoaxtla it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zacapoaxtla – 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 Zacapoaxtla. 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.