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 $1,589 per month in Medellin vs $1,202 in Zamora de Hidalgo, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,364 per month in Medellin vs $1,844 in Zamora de Hidalgo, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,139 per month in Medellin vs $2,486 in Zamora de Hidalgo, rent included.

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

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Zamora de Hidalgo is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.01 COP 25.6K

$8.31 MX$150

-3.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 COP 149.1K

$19.74 MX$357

135.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 COP 30.2K

$9.12 MX$165

3.40%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,326

$3.68 MX$66.6

-20.92%

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

$1.75 COP 5,614

$1.76 MX$31.82

-0.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 COP 4,241

$1.04 MX$18.86

26.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 COP 10.0K

$1.69 MX$30.55

85.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 COP 17.8K

$2.75 MX$49.75

101.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 COP 4,519

$1.88 MX$34.01

-25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 COP 7,818

$2.70 MX$48.77

-9.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,218

$2.03 MX$36.73

-19.70%

Eggs

$2.82 COP 9,038

$2.85 MX$51.5

-1.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 COP 31.1K

$8.85 MX$160

9.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 COP 29.8K

$9.03 MX$163

3.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.46 COP 43.1K

$13.92 MX$252

-3.30%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 COP 12.8K

$3.51 MX$63.5

13.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,744

$1.69 MX$30.55

-12.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 COP 6,804

$2.22 MX$40.04

-4.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,216

$1.91 MX$34.54

17.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 COP 6,124

$1.89 MX$34.13

1.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 COP 5,188

$1.86 MX$33.53

-12.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,677

$1.55 MX$27.95

-25.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 COP 4,043

$1.24 MX$22.38

1.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 COP 12.2K

$4.48 MX$81.0

-14.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.11 COP 42.0K

$17.96 MX$325

-27.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 5,110

$2.37 MX$42.92

-32.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,226

$4.14 MX$74.8

-45.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,751

$0.70 MX$12.58

67.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.0 COP 240.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,077

$3.32 MX$60.0

-61.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,566

$2.62 MX$47.42

-21.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.20 COP 26.3K

$10.93 MX$198

-24.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 COP 4,067

$1.50 MX$27.20

-15.33%

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

$26.8K COP 85.8M

$21.2K MX$383.6K

26.18%

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

$34.4K COP 110.2M

$24.3K MX$438.3K

41.87%

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

$162 COP 519.6K

$61.9 MX$1,119

162.01%

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

$13.12 COP 42.0K

$28.01 MX$506

-53.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.09 COP 90.0K

$25.48 MX$461

10.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.33 COP 142.0K

$34.15 MX$617

29.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 COP 52.3K

$20.75 MX$375

-21.30%

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 COP 19.5K

$7.60 MX$137

-19.87%

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

$764 COP 2.4M

$268 MX$4,844

185.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,904 COP 28.5M

$5,019 MX$90.7K

77.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.0 COP 272.2K

$54.5 MX$986

55.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 COP 184.1K

$44.92 MX$812

27.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 COP 422.1K

$102 MX$1,845

29.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 COP 306.7K

$100 MX$1,812

-4.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$608 MX$11.0K

69.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 COP 1.9M

$401 MX$7,250

50.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,802 COP 5.8M

$1,037 MX$18.7K

73.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$993 COP 3.2M

$789 MX$14.3K

25.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,921 COP 12.6M

$1,871 MX$33.8K

109.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,639 COP 5.2M

$1,150 MX$20.8K

42.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.99

-8.76%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Last update for Zamora de Hidalgo: October 3, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $608 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 $47.00 in Medellin versus $20.00 in Zamora de Hidalgo. Groceries tell a different story – $288 in Medellin vs $311 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 $2,384 per month in Medellin and $1,803 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 $47.00 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 8% 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 $1,202, than in Medellin at $1,589. 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.