Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Zacapoaxtla

For one person, living is cheaper in Zacapoaxtla: $1,055 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 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
51

Cost of Living Index in Zacapoaxtla
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Zacapoaxtla Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Zacapoaxtla

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,055

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Zacapoaxtla

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,055 in Zacapoaxtla, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Zacapoaxtla $1,055

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,651 in Zacapoaxtla, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Zacapoaxtla $1,651

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,246 in Zacapoaxtla, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Zacapoaxtla $2,246

Medellin costs about 55% more than Zacapoaxtla, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Zacapoaxtla is 22% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.4K

$4.67 MX$87.0

73.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.0K

$48.73 MX$908

-3.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 29.9K

$5.50 MX$103

72.73%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,485

$1.92 MX$35.71

56.77%

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

$1.80 COP 5,660

$0.95 MX$17.79

89.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,443

$1.22 MX$22.68

15.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 9,990

$1.20 MX$22.39

165.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$2.14 MX$39.86

168.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,751

$1.25 MX$23.35

20.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,480

$1.12 MX$20.83

112.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,573

$1.06 MX$19.84

66.98%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,093

$1.65 MX$30.82

75.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.1K

$11.41 MX$213

-10.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.1K

$4.56 MX$85.0

116.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.0K

$4.96 MX$92.5

182.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.5K

$1.59 MX$29.62

149.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,883

$1.26 MX$23.58

23.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,867

$0.52 MX$9.66

319.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,870

$0.72 MX$13.41

202.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,174

$0.77 MX$14.36

154.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,000

$1.05 MX$19.58

51.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,604

$0.92 MX$17.22

25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,911

$0.96 MX$17.89

29.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$4.19 MX$78.1

-5.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.0K

$13.02 MX$243

5.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,221

$1.11 MX$20.73

49.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,103

$4.44 MX$82.7

-49.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,674

$0.62 MX$11.62

88.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

$30.07 MX$561

157.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 3,989

$1.07 MX$19.85

18.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,442

$0.53 MX$9.90

286.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

$5.48 MX$102

56.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,237

$1.41 MX$26.30

-4.26%

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

$34.1K COP 107.2M

$13.8K MX$257.3K

146.83%

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

$24.3K MX$452.2K

42.92%

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

$170 COP 533.7K

$43.05 MX$802

294.08%

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

$13.55 COP 42.6K

$26.42 MX$493

-48.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.3K

$31.94 MX$595

-12.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

$30.23 MX$564

44.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

$17.11 MX$319

0.47%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.7K

$6.33 MX$118

9.16%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$439 MX$8,192

81.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

$4,535 MX$84.5K

100.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 266.5K

$68.5 MX$1,276

23.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 182.3K

$52.9 MX$985

9.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 424.6K

$106 MX$1,970

27.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 307.9K

$114 MX$2,134

-14.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$607 MX$11.3K

98.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$437 MX$8,150

46.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$1,014 MX$18.9K

99.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$752 MX$14.0K

34.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

$1,853 MX$34.5K

125.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$1,018 MX$19.0K

87.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$597 MX$11.1K

10.05%

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 Zacapoaxtla: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Zacapoaxtla

$437 41.4% 31.9% $204

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Zacapoaxtla

$188 17.8% 36.8% $109

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Zacapoaxtla

$101 9.6% 52% $110

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Zacapoaxtla

$96 9.1% 43.5% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Zacapoaxtla

$154 14.6% 9.1% $15

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Zacapoaxtla

$36 3.4% 61.2% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Zacapoaxtla

$43 4.1% 25.4% $15

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $607 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 10% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $49 in Zacapoaxtla. Groceries tell a different story – $297 in Medellin vs $188 in Zacapoaxtla – so Zacapoaxtla wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇲🇽 Zacapoaxtla

🕒 Local time

09:05 9:05 AM

08:05 8:05 AM

1 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

8,000

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 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 October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,501 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Zacapoaxtla 2,820 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Zacapoaxtla

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 Zacapoaxtla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 55%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,583 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $607 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $49 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 $1,639 in Medellin and $1,055 in Zacapoaxtla. That’s a gap of about 55%.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,639 in Medellin and $1,055 in Zacapoaxtla. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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.