Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Morelia and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Morelia: $1,151 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

56

Cost of Living Index in Morelia
Learn more

Morelia Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index

Jump to prices

Morelia

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,151

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Morelia 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 Morelia and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,151 per month in Morelia vs $1,625 in Medellin, rent included.

Morelia $1,151
Medellin $1,625

A couple spends around $1,859 per month in Morelia vs $2,412 in Medellin, rent included.

Morelia $1,859
Medellin $2,412

A family of three spends $2,566 per month in Morelia vs $3,199 in Medellin, rent included.

Morelia $2,566
Medellin $3,199

Morelia is about 29% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Morelia sits 15% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.87 MX$127

$8.30 COP 26.3K

-17.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.64 MX$714

$46.91 COP 148.7K

-17.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.09 MX$112

$9.24 COP 29.3K

-34.09%

Cappuccino

$3.51 MX$64.9

$3.05 COP 9,676

15.08%

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

$1.22 MX$22.60

$1.80 COP 5,707

-32.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.14 MX$21.14

$1.38 COP 4,382

-17.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.79 MX$51.6

$3.24 COP 10.3K

-13.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 MX$68.1

$5.56 COP 17.6K

-33.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 MX$31.16

$1.50 COP 4,760

12.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 MX$56.2

$2.37 COP 7,508

28.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 MX$36.03

$1.70 COP 5,377

14.71%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$50.5

$2.96 COP 9,379

-7.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.77 MX$218

$10.22 COP 32.4K

15.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.71 MX$179

$9.74 COP 30.9K

-0.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.52 MX$268

$13.90 COP 44.1K

4.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.00 MX$55.4

$4.13 COP 13.1K

-27.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 MX$29.73

$1.53 COP 4,839

5.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 MX$36.49

$2.22 COP 7,052

-11.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 MX$42.59

$2.27 COP 7,194

1.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$37.46

$1.99 COP 6,311

2.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 MX$33.04

$1.67 COP 5,285

7.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 MX$26.72

$1.18 COP 3,742

22.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 MX$24.37

$1.24 COP 3,919

6.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.78 MX$69.9

$3.87 COP 12.3K

-2.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.74 MX$272

$13.78 COP 43.7K

6.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 MX$34.60

$1.66 COP 5,256

12.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 MX$65.1

$2.40 COP 7,615

46.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.59 MX$10.88

$1.24 COP 3,944

-52.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.29 MX$449

$78.2 COP 248.0K

-68.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 MX$25.45

$1.28 COP 4,044

7.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.52 MX$9.52

$2.15 COP 6,803

-75.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.55 MX$103

$8.37 COP 26.5K

-33.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 MX$27.37

$1.35 COP 4,288

9.63%

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

$21.8K MX$403.5K

$34.8K COP 110.2M

-37.19%

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

$23.4K MX$433.1K

$34.7K COP 110.0M

-32.43%

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

$60.0 MX$1,109

$167 COP 528.4K

-63.99%

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

$28.39 MX$525

$13.62 COP 43.2K

108.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.68 MX$622

$29.12 COP 92.3K

15.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.8 MX$938

$45.09 COP 143.0K

12.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.11 MX$501

$17.18 COP 54.5K

57.80%

Cinema Ticket

$4.42 MX$81.7

$6.97 COP 22.1K

-36.59%

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

$213 MX$3,937

$790 COP 2.5M

-73.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,841 MX$52.5K

$9,041 COP 28.7M

-68.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 MX$1,024

$87.8 COP 278.4K

-36.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.34 MX$690

$58.2 COP 184.4K

-35.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 MX$1,964

$139 COP 440.7K

-23.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.2 MX$1,722

$98.9 COP 313.5K

-5.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$337 MX$6,236

$1,028 COP 3.3M

-67.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$347 MX$6,406

$620 COP 2.0M

-44.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$928 MX$17.1K

$1,881 COP 6.0M

-50.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$714 MX$13.2K

$1,008 COP 3.2M

-29.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,654 MX$30.6K

$3,988 COP 12.6M

-58.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$653 MX$12.1K

$1,702 COP 5.4M

-61.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$660 MX$12.2K

$663 COP 2.1M

-0.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.53

10.94

-3.75%

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

Last update for Morelia: October 19, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Morelia

$347 30.1%

Medellin

$619 38.1% 78.7% $273

Groceries & Markets

Morelia

$315 27.3%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 5.3% $17

Eating Out

Morelia

$146 12.7%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 16.9% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Morelia

$131 11.4%

Medellin

$173 10.6% 31.4% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Morelia

$122 10.6%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 71.5% $87

Sport & Entertainment

Morelia

$60 5.2%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 1% $0.6

Getting Around

Morelia

$31 2.7%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 211% $65

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $337 in Morelia versus $1,028 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 0% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39.00 in Morelia versus $47.00 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $315 in Morelia vs $298 in Medellin – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Morelia

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

01:36 1:36 AM

02:36 2:36 AM

1 h ahead of Morelia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

743,275

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 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 October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Morelia Medellin 3,140 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Morelia
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

Morelia vs Medellin: 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 $1,727 per month in Morelia and $2,437 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Morelia, 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 $39.00 in Morelia and $47.00 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 $1,151 in Morelia and $1,625 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 41%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Morelia, where all-in costs run around $1,151, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Morelia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Morelia – 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 Morelia. 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.