Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Zihuatanejo

For one person, living is cheaper in Zihuatanejo: $1,196 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index
57

Cost of Living Index in Zihuatanejo
Learn more

Zihuatanejo Living Index

Jump to prices

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Zihuatanejo

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,196

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Zihuatanejo

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

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $1,196 in Zihuatanejo, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Zihuatanejo $1,196

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $1,861 in Zihuatanejo, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Zihuatanejo $1,861

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $2,526 in Zihuatanejo, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Zihuatanejo $2,526

Medellin costs about 41% more than Zihuatanejo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Zihuatanejo is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 26.9K

$10.57 MX$197

-21.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.2K

$43.12 MX$803

7.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.6K

$8.39 MX$156

12.87%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$3.40 MX$63.2

-7.94%

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

$1.77 COP 5,702

$1.34 MX$24.94

32.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,599

$1.00 MX$18.66

42.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$2.38 MX$44.29

32.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.4K

$3.92 MX$73.0

45.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,948

$1.57 MX$29.24

-2.55%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,397

$2.63 MX$48.98

-12.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,279

$1.69 MX$31.52

14.79%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,900

$2.50 MX$46.60

22.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.3K

$8.06 MX$150

23.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.7K

$8.24 MX$153

26.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.1K

$11.39 MX$212

22.56%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$2.67 MX$49.74

51.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,934

$1.47 MX$27.45

4.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,794

$1.87 MX$34.74

12.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,405

$1.84 MX$34.25

24.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,810

$2.06 MX$38.33

2.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,518

$1.88 MX$35.04

-9.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,778

$1.38 MX$25.72

-15.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,101

$1.07 MX$19.85

47.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.6K

$4.25 MX$79.0

-8.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.3K

$10.27 MX$191

36.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,688

$1.71 MX$31.83

2.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,756

$3.07 MX$57.1

-11.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,809

$0.66 MX$12.35

78.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 246.3K

$30.30 MX$564

151.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,833

$2.51 MX$46.64

-27.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,874

$1.88 MX$35.07

13.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.3K

$10.56 MX$197

-23.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,117

$1.43 MX$26.53

-10.49%

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

$34.4K COP 111.2M

$23.7K MX$441.1K

45.29%

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

$34.1K COP 110.2M

$23.8K MX$443.7K

43.16%

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

$178 COP 573.8K

$58.1 MX$1,081

205.90%

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

$13.89 COP 44.8K

$22.78 MX$424

-39.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.2K

$28.55 MX$531

7.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 135.4K

$32.62 MX$607

28.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.2K

$20.09 MX$374

-16.38%

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.1K

$5.10 MX$94.9

46.47%

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

$790 COP 2.6M

$215 MX$4,001

267.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.7M

$4,555 MX$84.8K

169.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 278.7K

$53.3 MX$991

62.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 191.3K

$40.57 MX$755

46.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 446.6K

$99.1 MX$1,845

39.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 319.0K

$87.4 MX$1,627

13.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$605 MX$11.3K

121.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$432 MX$8,043

54.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$1,014 MX$18.9K

94.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$739 MX$13.8K

39.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.2M

$1,928 MX$35.9K

112.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

$1,131 MX$21.0K

71.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.31

-3.27%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Zihuatanejo: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Zihuatanejo

$432 36.2% 35.2% $235

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Zihuatanejo

$261 21.8% 15.2% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Zihuatanejo

$109 9.2% 50.8% $113

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Zihuatanejo

$180 15% 4.1% $7

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Zihuatanejo

$126 10.6% 26.7% $46

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Zihuatanejo

$45 3.8% 52% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Zihuatanejo

$43 3.6% 24.7% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $605 in Zihuatanejo. 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 in Medellin versus $43 in Zihuatanejo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $261 – making Zihuatanejo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇲🇽 Zihuatanejo

🕒 Local time

16:09 4:09 PM

15:09 3:09 PM

1 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

67,408

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

100 MXN = 5.37 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 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 November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,610 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.61 MXN (100 MXN = 5.37 USD). 1 EUR = 20.81 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Zihuatanejo 3,090 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Zihuatanejo

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 Zihuatanejo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 41%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $1,794 in Zihuatanejo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zihuatanejo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $605 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $43 in Zihuatanejo. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,692 in Medellin and $1,196 in Zihuatanejo. That makes Zihuatanejo about 29% cheaper.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Zihuatanejo, where all-in costs run around $1,196, than in Medellin at $1,692. In Zihuatanejo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zihuatanejo – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Zihuatanejo is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 29% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.