Cost of Living Comparison Between Nogales and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Nogales and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,093 per month in Nogales vs $1,017 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,759 per month in Nogales vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,426 per month in Nogales vs $2,188 in Medellin, rent included.

Nogales costs about 7% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Nogales and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – Nogales 19% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.06 MX$156

$5.95 COP 20.8K

52.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.57 MX$713

$33.33 COP 116.3K

24.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.14 MX$140

$7.23 COP 25.2K

12.59%

Cappuccino

$3.17 MX$54.4

$1.63 COP 5,687

94.48%

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

$1.41 MX$24.24

$1.09 COP 3,821

29.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 MX$13.28

$0.73 COP 2,548

5.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.91 MX$32.71

$1.74 COP 6,065

9.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 MX$66.6

$3.23 COP 11.3K

20.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$24.86

$1.05 COP 3,662

38.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 MX$44.57

$1.29 COP 4,515

101.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 MX$26.73

$1.32 COP 4,617

18.18%

Eggs

$2.37 MX$40.68

$2.27 COP 7,927

4.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.81 MX$134

$4.35 COP 15.2K

79.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.68 MX$132

$5.88 COP 20.5K

30.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.43 MX$179

$8.61 COP 30.0K

21.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.58 MX$44.29

$2.25 COP 7,844

14.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 MX$24.82

$1.07 COP 3,733

35.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.74 MX$29.83

$1.52 COP 5,322

14.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 MX$28.38

$1.42 COP 4,964

16.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.87

$1.17 COP 4,084

64.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 MX$33.61

$1.17 COP 4,077

67.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 MX$20.57

$0.89 COP 3,096

34.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 MX$17.34

$0.90 COP 3,146

12.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.07 MX$69.8

$2.25 COP 7,837

80.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.00 MX$172

$11.04 COP 38.5K

-9.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$27.29

$1.14 COP 3,977

39.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 MX$48.84

$2.38 COP 8,301

19.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.36

$0.84 COP 2,916

-28.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.40 MX$58.4

$1.41 COP 4,912

141.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 MX$27.44

$1.90 COP 6,634

-15.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.22 MX$141

$7.75 COP 27.0K

6.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.25

$1.01 COP 3,509

33.66%

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

$21.0K MX$361.1K

$17.6K COP 61.4M

19.68%

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

$22.8K MX$392.1K

$26.5K COP 92.5M

-13.78%

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

$56.5 MX$969

$83.7 COP 292.1K

-32.50%

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

$22.55 MX$387

$9.45 COP 33.0K

138.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.43 MX$488

$24.11 COP 84.1K

17.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.29 MX$623

$25.31 COP 88.3K

43.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.19 MX$278

$19.14 COP 66.8K

-15.41%

Cinema Ticket

$4.65 MX$79.8

$4.10 COP 14.3K

13.41%

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

$203 MX$3,484

$312 COP 1.1M

-34.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,557 MX$61.1K

$5,993 COP 20.9M

-40.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.9 MX$908

$58.0 COP 202.6K

-8.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.28 MX$674

$32.56 COP 113.6K

20.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.2 MX$1,532

$99.6 COP 347.7K

-10.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.1 MX$1,376

$109 COP 378.8K

-26.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$504 MX$8,646

$482 COP 1.7M

4.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$390 MX$6,690

$379 COP 1.3M

2.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$948 MX$16.3K

$837 COP 2.9M

13.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$766 MX$13.2K

$723 COP 2.5M

5.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,026 MX$34.8K

$2,840 COP 9.9M

-28.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,419 MX$24.3K

$1,223 COP 4.3M

15.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.48

13.43

-14.52%

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

Last update for Nogales: June 7, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $504 in Nogales versus $482 in Medellin. 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 $42.00 in Nogales versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $246 vs $190 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Nogales vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Nogales is pricier by about 7%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,639 per month in Nogales and $1,525 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, 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 $42.00 in Nogales and $33.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 30% more in Nogales, 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 Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,017, than in Nogales at $1,093. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Nogales it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Medellin – 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 Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Nogales makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.