Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pachuca and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Pachuca: $886 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Pachuca
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Pachuca Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

Jump to prices

Pachuca

🇲🇽 Mexico

$886

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $886 per month in Pachuca vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

Pachuca $886
Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $1,483 per month in Pachuca vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

Pachuca $1,483
Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $2,079 per month in Pachuca vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

Pachuca $2,079
Medellin $3,190

Pachuca is about 45% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Pachuca sits 34% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.80 MX$88.8

$7.93 COP 25.2K

-39.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.48 MX$489

$46.13 COP 146.3K

-42.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.03 MX$148

$9.50 COP 30.1K

-15.47%

Cappuccino

$3.09 MX$57.0

$3.11 COP 9,866

-0.64%

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

$1.16 MX$21.50

$1.83 COP 5,800

-36.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$15.16

$1.38 COP 4,360

-40.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.61 MX$29.79

$3.05 COP 9,672

-47.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 MX$62.2

$5.50 COP 17.4K

-38.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 MX$29.20

$1.45 COP 4,600

8.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 MX$46.99

$2.36 COP 7,496

7.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.89 MX$34.93

$1.68 COP 5,328

12.50%

Eggs

$2.72 MX$50.4

$2.86 COP 9,077

-4.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.22 MX$133

$10.19 COP 32.3K

-29.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.74 MX$87.5

$9.53 COP 30.2K

-50.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.44 MX$138

$14.04 COP 44.5K

-47.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.08 MX$38.53

$4.07 COP 12.9K

-48.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 MX$23.82

$1.50 COP 4,742

-14.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 MX$28.10

$2.17 COP 6,891

-29.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 MX$29.91

$2.31 COP 7,310

-29.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 MX$28.33

$1.93 COP 6,113

-20.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 MX$24.70

$1.64 COP 5,196

-18.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.93 MX$17.14

$1.13 COP 3,571

-17.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 MX$17.46

$1.25 COP 3,954

-24.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 MX$80.0

$3.99 COP 12.6K

8.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.19 MX$151

$13.35 COP 42.3K

-38.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 MX$25.71

$1.70 COP 5,384

-18.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 MX$46.08

$2.37 COP 7,525

5.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 MX$10.52

$1.21 COP 3,827

-52.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.85 MX$496

$76.5 COP 242.5K

-64.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 MX$48.55

$1.32 COP 4,179

99.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.62 MX$48.34

$2.14 COP 6,774

22.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.11 MX$205

$8.47 COP 26.8K

31.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$25.51

$1.30 COP 4,114

6.15%

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

$21.4K MX$395.5K

$28.0K COP 88.7M

-23.54%

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

$23.5K MX$433.6K

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-33.75%

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

$47.05 MX$869

$172 COP 545.6K

-72.66%

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

$19.21 MX$355

$13.37 COP 42.4K

43.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.45 MX$415

$28.73 COP 91.1K

-21.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.51 MX$434

$45.24 COP 143.5K

-48.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.99 MX$203

$17.04 COP 54.0K

-35.50%

Cinema Ticket

$4.30 MX$79.4

$6.28 COP 19.9K

-31.53%

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

$165 MX$3,049

$770 COP 2.4M

-78.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,599 MX$48.0K

$9,011 COP 28.6M

-71.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.2 MX$983

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-38.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.32 MX$745

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-29.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 MX$1,751

$137 COP 432.9K

-30.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.4 MX$1,430

$97.9 COP 310.4K

-20.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$400 MX$7,386

$1,055 COP 3.3M

-62.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$269 MX$4,963

$616 COP 2.0M

-56.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$603 MX$11.1K

$1,892 COP 6.0M

-68.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$688 MX$12.7K

$1,023 COP 3.2M

-32.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$728 MX$13.5K

$4,059 COP 12.9M

-82.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$638 MX$11.8K

$1,678 COP 5.3M

-61.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 MX$12.2K

$652 COP 2.1M

1.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.8

10.94

-1.28%

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

Last update for Pachuca: October 12, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Pachuca

$269 30.3%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 129% $347

Groceries & Markets

Pachuca

$210 23.7%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 40.1% $84

Eating Out

Pachuca

$122 13.8%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 37.7% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Pachuca

$120 13.5%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 42.3% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pachuca

$89 10%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 141% $125

Getting Around

Pachuca

$45 5.1%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 108% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Pachuca

$32 3.6%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 80.1% $26

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $400 in Pachuca versus $1,055 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 2% higher in Pachuca, 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 $26.00 in Pachuca versus $46.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $210 vs $295 – making Pachuca the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Pachuca

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

00:29 12:29 AM

01:29 1:29 AM

1 h ahead of Pachuca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

297,848

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 18, 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 18, 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

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Highest

Between locations

Pachuca Medellin 2,930 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Pachuca
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

Pachuca vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 82%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,330 per month in Pachuca and $2,421 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pachuca, 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 Pachuca and $46.00 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 $886 in Pachuca and $1,614 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 82%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Pachuca, where all-in costs run around $886, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Pachuca it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Pachuca – 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 Pachuca. 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.