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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $1,048 in Zacapoaxtla, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $1,718 in Zacapoaxtla, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $2,387 in Zacapoaxtla, rent included.

Medellin costs about 57% more than Zacapoaxtla, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Zacapoaxtla is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.9K

$5.14 MX$86.8

56.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 149.7K

$52.1 MX$879

-7.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.2K

$5.90 MX$99.6

59.66%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,105

$2.10 MX$35.44

40.00%

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

$1.86 COP 5,776

$1.02 MX$17.21

82.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,511

$1.38 MX$23.23

5.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,953

$1.30 MX$21.96

146.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.7K

$2.37 MX$40.00

140.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,460

$1.38 MX$23.31

4.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,442

$1.28 MX$21.61

87.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,265

$1.21 MX$20.45

40.50%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,960

$1.83 MX$30.87

57.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 31.2K

$12.85 MX$217

-21.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.9K

$5.02 MX$84.8

98.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 44.0K

$5.33 MX$90.0

166.42%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$1.71 MX$28.86

132.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,913

$1.39 MX$23.53

13.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,671

$0.60 MX$10.16

258.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,129

$0.78 MX$13.19

194.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,213

$0.85 MX$14.34

135.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,679

$1.16 MX$19.60

30.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,727

$1.08 MX$18.32

11.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,974

$1.04 MX$17.63

23.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.9K

$4.72 MX$79.7

-18.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.4K

$14.36 MX$242

-2.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,294

$1.20 MX$20.28

42.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,500

$4.80 MX$81.1

-42.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,861

$0.69 MX$11.71

81.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 241.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,045

$1.21 MX$20.50

8.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,728

$0.57 MX$9.69

280.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.7K

$5.98 MX$101

38.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,202

$1.62 MX$27.38

-16.05%

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

$27.5K COP 85.2M

$15.1K MX$255.4K

81.65%

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

$36.5K COP 113.2M

$27.3K MX$460.1K

34.08%

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

$169 COP 523.0K

$46.91 MX$792

259.67%

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

$13.57 COP 42.1K

$29.57 MX$499

-54.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.8K

$34.85 MX$588

-18.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 141.7K

$36.66 MX$619

24.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.4K

$21.59 MX$365

-20.24%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.6K

$7.01 MX$118

-5.14%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$469 MX$7,914

71.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.5M

$5,001 MX$84.4K

83.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 270.8K

$74.5 MX$1,258

17.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 184.0K

$56.2 MX$949

5.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 430.5K

$115 MX$1,944

20.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 316.3K

$125 MX$2,110

-18.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$658 MX$11.1K

62.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$422 MX$7,125

54.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 6.0M

$1,104 MX$18.6K

74.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$815 MX$13.8K

28.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.8M

$1,942 MX$32.8K

112.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.3M

$1,249 MX$21.1K

35.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$636 MX$10.7K

3.01%

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 7, 2026

Last update for Zacapoaxtla: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,071 in Medellin versus $658 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 3% 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $52.0 in Zacapoaxtla. Groceries tell a different story – $300 in Medellin vs $208 in Zacapoaxtla – so Zacapoaxtla wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 57%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,462 per month in Medellin and $1,572 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 $48.00 in Medellin and $52.0 in Zacapoaxtla. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 45% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Zacapoaxtla, where all-in costs run around $1,048, than in Medellin at $1,641. 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.