Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Penasco and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Puerto Penasco: $1,205 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Puerto Penasco
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Puerto Penasco Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Puerto Penasco

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,205

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,205 per month in Puerto Penasco vs $1,625 in Medellin, rent included.

Puerto Penasco $1,205
Medellin $1,625

A couple spends around $1,921 per month in Puerto Penasco vs $2,412 in Medellin, rent included.

Puerto Penasco $1,921
Medellin $2,412

A family of three spends $2,638 per month in Puerto Penasco vs $3,199 in Medellin, rent included.

Puerto Penasco $2,638
Medellin $3,199

Puerto Penasco is about 26% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Puerto Penasco sits 11% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.28 MX$227

$8.30 COP 26.3K

47.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.08 MX$814

$46.91 COP 148.7K

-6.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.65 MX$160

$9.24 COP 29.3K

-6.39%

Cappuccino

$4.66 MX$86.2

$3.05 COP 9,676

52.79%

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

$1.41 MX$26.04

$1.80 COP 5,707

-21.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 MX$19.09

$1.38 COP 4,382

-25.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.50 MX$46.15

$3.24 COP 10.3K

-22.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 MX$72.5

$5.56 COP 17.6K

-29.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 MX$28.93

$1.50 COP 4,760

4.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 MX$55.6

$2.37 COP 7,508

27.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 MX$31.83

$1.70 COP 5,377

1.18%

Eggs

$3.02 MX$55.8

$2.96 COP 9,379

2.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.78 MX$88.4

$10.22 COP 32.4K

-53.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.73 MX$198

$9.74 COP 30.9K

10.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.46 MX$175

$13.90 COP 44.1K

-31.94%

Apples (1kg)

$4.32 MX$79.9

$4.13 COP 13.1K

4.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.91 MX$35.29

$1.53 COP 4,839

24.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.07 MX$56.7

$2.22 COP 7,052

38.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.10 MX$38.82

$2.27 COP 7,194

-7.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 MX$35.60

$1.99 COP 6,311

-3.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 MX$36.97

$1.67 COP 5,285

19.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 MX$27.00

$1.18 COP 3,742

23.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 MX$28.58

$1.24 COP 3,919

25.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.39 MX$81.1

$3.87 COP 12.3K

13.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.62 MX$252

$13.78 COP 43.7K

-1.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 MX$28.84

$1.66 COP 5,256

-6.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 MX$27.65

$2.40 COP 7,615

-37.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 MX$11.72

$1.24 COP 3,944

-49.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 MX$39.60

$1.28 COP 4,044

67.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.96 MX$54.7

$2.15 COP 6,803

37.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.94 MX$202

$8.37 COP 26.5K

30.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 MX$25.79

$1.35 COP 4,288

3.70%

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

$20.9K MX$386.8K

$34.8K COP 110.2M

-39.79%

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

$24.4K MX$451.5K

$34.7K COP 110.0M

-29.55%

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

$70.4 MX$1,302

$167 COP 528.4K

-57.74%

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

$12.65 MX$234

$13.62 COP 43.2K

-7.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.57 MX$787

$29.12 COP 92.3K

46.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.27 MX$615

$45.09 COP 143.0K

-26.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.79 MX$366

$17.18 COP 54.5K

15.19%

Cinema Ticket

$5.32 MX$98.3

$6.97 COP 22.1K

-23.67%

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

$223 MX$4,112

$790 COP 2.5M

-71.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,550 MX$84.1K

$9,041 COP 28.7M

-49.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 MX$1,000

$87.8 COP 278.4K

-38.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.03 MX$758

$58.2 COP 184.4K

-29.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 MX$1,852

$139 COP 440.7K

-27.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.5 MX$1,673

$98.9 COP 313.5K

-8.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$527 MX$9,747

$1,028 COP 3.3M

-48.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$388 MX$7,161

$620 COP 2.0M

-37.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$916 MX$16.9K

$1,881 COP 6.0M

-51.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$757 MX$14.0K

$1,008 COP 3.2M

-24.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,900 MX$35.1K

$3,988 COP 12.6M

-52.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,149 MX$21.2K

$1,702 COP 5.4M

-32.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$583 MX$10.8K

$663 COP 2.1M

-12.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.55

10.94

-3.56%

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

Last update for Puerto Penasco: October 17, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Puerto Penasco

$388 32.2%

Medellin

$619 38.1% 59.9% $232

Groceries & Markets

Puerto Penasco

$289 24%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 3% $8.7

Eating Out

Puerto Penasco

$210 17.5%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 18.7% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Puerto Penasco

$129 10.7%

Medellin

$173 10.6% 34.3% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Puerto Penasco

$126 10.4%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 66.7% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Puerto Penasco

$44 3.6%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 34.4% $15

Getting Around

Puerto Penasco

$19 * 1.6%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 389% $76

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $527 in Puerto Penasco 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 14% 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 $44.00 in Puerto Penasco versus $47.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $289 vs $298 – making Puerto Penasco the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Puerto Penasco

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

04:41 4:41 AM

06:41 6:41 AM

2 h ahead of Puerto Penasco

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

56,756

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 20, 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 20, 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

Puerto Penasco Medellin 4,830 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Puerto Penasco
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

Puerto Penasco vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 35%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,807 per month in Puerto Penasco 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 Puerto Penasco, 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 $44.00 in Puerto Penasco and $47.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 3% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Puerto Penasco, where all-in costs run around $1,205, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Puerto Penasco it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Puerto Penasco – 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 Puerto Penasco. 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.