Cost of Living Comparison Between Oaxaca de Juarez and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Oaxaca de Juarez and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,026 per month in Oaxaca de Juarez vs $1,034 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,637 per month in Oaxaca de Juarez vs $1,577 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,247 per month in Oaxaca de Juarez vs $2,120 in Medellin, rent included.

Oaxaca de Juarez is about 1% cheaper than Medellin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Oaxaca de Juarez and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – Oaxaca de Juarez 23% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 MX$105

$5.92 COP 21.4K

1.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.09 MX$457

$32.75 COP 118.2K

-20.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.08 MX$141

$7.20 COP 26.0K

12.22%

Cappuccino

$2.69 MX$47.09

$1.70 COP 6,140

58.24%

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

$1.22 MX$21.37

$1.10 COP 3,966

10.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 MX$11.97

$0.72 COP 2,605

-5.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 MX$38.30

$1.67 COP 6,022

31.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 MX$60.0

$3.10 COP 11.2K

10.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.61

$1.06 COP 3,809

27.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 MX$46.33

$1.25 COP 4,497

112.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.08 MX$18.89

$1.39 COP 5,022

-22.30%

Eggs

$1.62 MX$28.29

$2.26 COP 8,168

-28.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.48 MX$113

$4.33 COP 15.6K

49.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.83 MX$84.5

$5.84 COP 21.1K

-17.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.05 MX$193

$8.83 COP 31.9K

25.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.15 MX$37.60

$2.24 COP 8,099

-4.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 MX$20.49

$1.08 COP 3,882

8.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 MX$30.03

$1.53 COP 5,522

12.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.51 MX$8.97

$1.37 COP 4,950

-62.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 MX$37.09

$1.13 COP 4,078

87.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.83

$1.12 COP 4,036

67.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 MX$18.31

$0.85 COP 3,057

23.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 MX$12.68

$0.91 COP 3,281

-20.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.00 MX$70.0

$2.33 COP 8,414

71.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.22 MX$179

$11.13 COP 40.2K

-8.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 MX$23.03

$1.19 COP 4,309

10.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 MX$47.59

$2.37 COP 8,553

14.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.51 MX$8.86

$0.79 COP 2,838

-35.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 MX$46.27

$1.44 COP 5,184

83.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 MX$42.11

$1.91 COP 6,901

26.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.71 MX$188

$8.02 COP 28.9K

33.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 MX$22.57

$0.94 COP 3,385

37.23%

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

$22.3K MX$390.3K

$17.9K COP 64.7M

24.44%

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

$24.3K MX$425.9K

$26.8K COP 96.7M

-9.15%

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

$68.0 MX$1,190

$84.0 COP 303.1K

-19.00%

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

$10.47 MX$183

$9.60 COP 34.7K

9.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.63 MX$414

$24.16 COP 87.2K

-2.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.31 MX$566

$25.88 COP 93.4K

24.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.64 MX$274

$19.04 COP 68.7K

-17.86%

Cinema Ticket

$5.26 MX$92.0

$3.92 COP 14.1K

34.18%

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

$363 MX$6,351

$306 COP 1.1M

18.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,647 MX$63.8K

$5,919 COP 21.4M

-38.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.42 MX$690

$57.9 COP 209.1K

-31.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.5 MX$1,041

$31.82 COP 114.9K

86.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.2 MX$1,176

$99.9 COP 360.6K

-32.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 MX$1,730

$107 COP 386.8K

-7.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$591 MX$10.3K

$487 COP 1.8M

21.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$416 MX$7,274

$368 COP 1.3M

12.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 MX$18.5K

$826 COP 3.0M

28.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$854 MX$14.9K

$716 COP 2.6M

19.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.25

13.43

-16.23%

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

Last update for Oaxaca de Juarez: April 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $591 in Oaxaca de Juarez versus $487 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 $26.00 in Oaxaca de Juarez versus $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $210 in Oaxaca de Juarez vs $190 in Medellin – so Medellin 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

Oaxaca de Juarez vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 1%, 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 $1,539 per month in Oaxaca de Juarez and $1,550 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Oaxaca de Juarez, 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 $26.00 in Oaxaca de Juarez and $33.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 11% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Oaxaca de Juarez, where all-in costs run around $1,026, than in Medellin at $1,034. In Oaxaca de Juarez it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Oaxaca de Juarez – 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 Oaxaca de Juarez. 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.