Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Zamora de Hidalgo Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Zamora de Hidalgo

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,687 per month in Medellin vs $1,276 in Zamora de Hidalgo, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,535 per month in Medellin vs $1,991 in Zamora de Hidalgo, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,383 per month in Medellin vs $2,705 in Zamora de Hidalgo, rent included.

Medellin costs about 32% more than Zamora de Hidalgo, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Medellin sits 23% above the global median, while Zamora de Hidalgo is 7% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.89 COP 24.2K

$8.96 MX$152

-11.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.53 COP 136.5K

$20.19 MX$342

120.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.29 COP 28.5K

$9.04 MX$153

2.77%

Cappuccino

$2.90 COP 8,874

$3.90 MX$66.2

-25.64%

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

$1.81 COP 5,541

$1.71 MX$28.90

5.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 COP 4,741

$1.08 MX$18.32

43.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 COP 9,962

$1.75 MX$29.63

85.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 COP 18.0K

$2.85 MX$48.22

106.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 COP 4,230

$1.96 MX$33.27

-29.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 COP 7,517

$2.84 MX$48.15

-13.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,617

$2.10 MX$35.51

-28.10%

Eggs

$2.78 COP 8,516

$3.00 MX$50.9

-7.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 COP 27.7K

$9.61 MX$163

-5.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.65 COP 32.6K

$9.61 MX$163

10.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.63 COP 44.8K

$14.94 MX$253

-2.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.2K

$3.73 MX$63.2

6.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,219

$1.69 MX$28.70

-18.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,056

$2.31 MX$39.12

-0.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.02 COP 6,185

$2.03 MX$34.42

-0.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 COP 6,390

$2.04 MX$34.62

2.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 COP 4,996

$1.92 MX$32.61

-15.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 COP 3,313

$1.59 MX$26.89

-32.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,843

$1.30 MX$22.11

-3.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.03 COP 12.4K

$4.91 MX$83.3

-17.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 COP 41.3K

$19.26 MX$326

-30.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 4,904

$2.38 MX$40.39

-32.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 COP 9,189

$4.34 MX$73.5

-30.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,611

$0.66 MX$11.13

78.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.9 COP 244.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 COP 4,920

$3.62 MX$61.4

-55.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,533

$2.85 MX$48.36

-25.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 COP 26.1K

$11.71 MX$198

-27.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,142

$1.61 MX$27.29

-16.15%

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

$28.3K COP 86.8M

$22.5K MX$381.7K

25.75%

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

$35.7K COP 109.4M

$25.9K MX$438.7K

37.89%

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

$151 COP 463.8K

$65.6 MX$1,112

130.80%

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

$13.10 COP 40.1K

$28.60 MX$485

-54.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.30 COP 99.0K

$26.43 MX$448

22.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.33 COP 141.9K

$40.22 MX$682

15.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.26 COP 52.9K

$22.64 MX$384

-23.76%

Cinema Ticket

$6.43 COP 19.7K

$7.83 MX$133

-17.88%

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

$835 COP 2.6M

$290 MX$4,918

187.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,887 COP 27.2M

$5,334 MX$90.4K

66.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 COP 273.7K

$55.8 MX$946

59.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 COP 169.5K

$47.98 MX$813

15.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 418.5K

$108 MX$1,833

26.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 335.1K

$104 MX$1,767

4.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$952 COP 2.9M

$714 MX$12.1K

33.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$668 COP 2.0M

$388 MX$6,572

72.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 COP 6.2M

$1,216 MX$20.6K

66.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 COP 3.5M

$745 MX$12.6K

54.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,696 COP 11.3M

$1,820 MX$30.8K

103.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,586 COP 4.9M

$1,364 MX$23.1K

16.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$625 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.43

11.99

-13.01%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 17, 2026

Last update for Zamora de Hidalgo: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $952 in Medellin versus $714 in Zamora de Hidalgo. 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 $45.00 in Medellin versus $20.00 in Zamora de Hidalgo. Groceries tell a different story – $297 in Medellin vs $329 in Zamora de Hidalgo – so Medellin 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 Zamora de Hidalgo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 32%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,530 per month in Medellin and $1,915 in Zamora de Hidalgo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zamora de Hidalgo, 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 $45.00 in Medellin and $20.00 in Zamora de Hidalgo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 11% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Zamora de Hidalgo, where all-in costs run around $1,276, than in Medellin at $1,687. In Zamora de Hidalgo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zamora de Hidalgo – 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 Zamora de Hidalgo. 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.