Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Zihuatanejo Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Zihuatanejo

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,681 per month in Medellin vs $1,229 in Zihuatanejo, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,445 per month in Medellin vs $1,974 in Zihuatanejo, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,210 per month in Medellin vs $2,719 in Zihuatanejo, rent included.

Medellin costs about 37% more than Zihuatanejo, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Medellin sits 23% above the global median, while Zihuatanejo is 10% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$13.13 MX$226

-38.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$49.70 MX$857

-3.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$9.21 MX$159

7.38%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$3.96 MX$68.3

-20.96%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$1.28 MX$22.14

49.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$1.28 MX$21.99

17.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$3.07 MX$52.9

1.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$4.39 MX$75.8

30.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.76 MX$30.30

-18.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$2.83 MX$48.74

-12.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$1.77 MX$30.54

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$2.65 MX$45.63

11.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$8.19 MX$141

22.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$7.95 MX$137

27.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$11.61 MX$200

23.17%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$3.02 MX$52.1

37.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.61 MX$27.77

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$2.06 MX$35.53

9.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$1.75 MX$30.15

28.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$1.98 MX$34.21

3.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$1.76 MX$30.41

-12.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$1.65 MX$28.49

-29.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$1.06 MX$18.27

23.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$4.82 MX$83.1

-19.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$10.27 MX$177

36.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.95 MX$33.58

-10.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$3.51 MX$60.6

-18.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.67 MX$11.58

82.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$2.49 MX$42.96

-47.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$2.16 MX$37.17

1.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$11.50 MX$198

-24.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.55 MX$26.78

-11.61%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$24.0K MX$413.8K

15.99%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$27.4K MX$472.5K

30.53%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$62.8 MX$1,083

182.28%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$23.13 MX$399

-39.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$31.53 MX$544

-5.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$36.71 MX$633

22.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$18.54 MX$320

-7.66%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$5.99 MX$103

11.02%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$269 MX$4,630

202.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$4,625 MX$79.7K

98.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$65.3 MX$1,126

37.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$43.88 MX$757

34.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$94.1 MX$1,622

46.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$89.2 MX$1,538

14.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$624 MX$10.8K

70.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$451 MX$7,771

47.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$1,155 MX$19.9K

63.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$765 MX$13.2K

34.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$2,162 MX$37.3K

93.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$1,277 MX$22.0K

31.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

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 14, 2026

Last update for Zihuatanejo: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,062 in Medellin versus $624 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $50.0 in Zihuatanejo. Groceries tell a different story – $305 in Medellin vs $270 in Zihuatanejo – so Zihuatanejo 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 Zihuatanejo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 37%, 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 $2,521 per month in Medellin and $1,843 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. 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 $50.0 in Zihuatanejo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 13% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Zihuatanejo, where all-in costs run around $1,229, than in Medellin at $1,681. 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.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Zihuatanejo. 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.