Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mexicali and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexicali: $927 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Mexicali
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Mexicali Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Mexicali

🇲🇽 Mexico

$927

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mexicali and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mexicali and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $927 per month in Mexicali vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Mexicali $927
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $1,485 per month in Mexicali vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Mexicali $1,485
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $2,042 per month in Mexicali vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Mexicali $2,042
Medellin $3,186

Mexicali is about 43% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mexicali sits 32% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.33 MX$231

$8.09 COP 26.1K

52.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.01 MX$619

$47.05 COP 151.9K

-29.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.49 MX$122

$9.50 COP 30.7K

-31.68%

Cappuccino

$3.33 MX$62.3

$3.01 COP 9,734

10.63%

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

$1.37 MX$25.75

$1.80 COP 5,809

-23.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$19.97

$1.41 COP 4,560

-24.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 MX$60.2

$3.18 COP 10.3K

0.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 MX$75.5

$5.75 COP 18.6K

-29.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 MX$22.41

$1.51 COP 4,875

-20.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.32 MX$43.41

$2.38 COP 7,677

-2.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 MX$26.92

$1.77 COP 5,719

-18.64%

Eggs

$2.67 MX$50.1

$2.89 COP 9,332

-7.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.40 MX$44.92

$10.19 COP 32.9K

-76.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.04 MX$113

$9.87 COP 31.9K

-38.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.60 MX$124

$13.99 COP 45.2K

-52.82%

Apples (1kg)

$1.61 MX$30.11

$3.97 COP 12.8K

-59.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 MX$24.59

$1.55 COP 5,011

-15.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.63

$2.18 COP 7,047

-37.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 MX$29.36

$2.18 COP 7,050

-27.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.70

$1.96 COP 6,336

-30.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 MX$25.88

$1.59 COP 5,131

-13.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 MX$25.09

$1.15 COP 3,698

16.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 MX$14.47

$1.24 COP 4,014

-37.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.01 MX$75.2

$3.96 COP 12.8K

1.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.99 MX$150

$13.68 COP 44.2K

-41.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 MX$36.77

$1.66 COP 5,359

18.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 MX$74.7

$2.26 COP 7,290

76.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 MX$19.15

$1.17 COP 3,770

-12.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.66 MX$649

$77.4 COP 249.8K

-55.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 MX$52.4

$1.27 COP 4,094

120.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 MX$41.11

$2.05 COP 6,611

6.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.17 MX$359

$8.55 COP 27.6K

124.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 MX$25.72

$1.35 COP 4,348

1.48%

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

$24.5K MX$459.9K

$34.1K COP 110.0M

-27.96%

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

$23.1K MX$432.9K

$34.7K COP 111.9M

-33.37%

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

$47.16 MX$884

$170 COP 547.7K

-72.20%

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

$21.80 MX$409

$13.55 COP 43.7K

60.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.74 MX$539

$28.07 COP 90.6K

2.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.07 MX$732

$43.70 COP 141.1K

-10.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.32 MX$306

$17.19 COP 55.5K

-5.06%

Cinema Ticket

$3.99 MX$74.7

$6.91 COP 22.3K

-42.26%

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

$198 MX$3,715

$797 COP 2.6M

-75.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,438 MX$83.2K

$9,112 COP 29.4M

-51.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.30 MX$624

$84.7 COP 273.5K

-60.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.11 MX$602

$58.0 COP 187.1K

-44.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.5 MX$1,415

$135 COP 435.7K

-44.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$37.44 MX$702

$97.9 COP 316.0K

-61.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$967 MX$18.1K

$1,208 COP 3.9M

-19.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$265 MX$4,961

$642 COP 2.1M

-58.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,370 MX$25.7K

$2,028 COP 6.5M

-32.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$534 MX$10.0K

$1,012 COP 3.3M

-47.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,628 MX$49.2K

$4,170 COP 13.5M

-36.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,427 MX$26.7K

$1,910 COP 6.2M

-25.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$837 MX$15.7K

$657 COP 2.1M

27.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.07

10.94

10.33%

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

Last update for Mexicali: October 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mexicali

$265 28.5%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 142% $377

Groceries & Markets

Mexicali

$193 20.8%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 53.7% $104

Eating Out

Mexicali

$192 20.7%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 11.6% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mexicali

$98 10.5%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 116% $114

Clothing & Footwear

Mexicali

$80 8.7%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 111% $89

Getting Around

Mexicali

$53 5.7%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 78.2% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Mexicali

$47 5.1%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 22.3% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $967 in Mexicali versus $1,208 in Medellin. 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 27% higher in Mexicali, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33 in Mexicali versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $193 vs $297 – making Mexicali the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Mexicali

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

07:05 7:05 AM

10:05 10:05 AM

3 h ahead of Mexicali

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

854,186

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.34 USD

100 MXN = 4.78 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 20.91 MXN (100 MXN = 4.78 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Mexicali Medellin 5,060 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Mexicali
Medellin

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

Mexicali vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 77%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,391 per month in Mexicali and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mexicali, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $967 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33 in Mexicali and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $927 in Mexicali and $1,639 in Medellin. That makes Mexicali about 43% cheaper.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Mexicali, where all-in costs run around $927, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Mexicali it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, Mexicali is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 43% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.