Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Vallarta and Medellin

For one person, living costs are similar in Puerto Vallarta and in Medellin: $1,602 and $1,614 a month, rent and utilities included.

78

Cost of Living Index in Puerto Vallarta
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Puerto Vallarta Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Puerto Vallarta

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,602

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,602 per month in Puerto Vallarta vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

Puerto Vallarta $1,602
Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $2,430 per month in Puerto Vallarta vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

Puerto Vallarta $2,430
Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $3,259 per month in Puerto Vallarta vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

Puerto Vallarta $3,259
Medellin $3,190

Puerto Vallarta is about 1% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Puerto Vallarta and Medellin sit above the global median – Puerto Vallarta by 19%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.62 MX$252

$7.93 COP 25.2K

71.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.3 MX$1,076

$46.13 COP 146.3K

26.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.17 MX$206

$9.50 COP 30.1K

17.58%

Cappuccino

$4.23 MX$78.2

$3.11 COP 9,866

36.01%

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

$1.86 MX$34.43

$1.83 COP 5,800

1.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 MX$25.59

$1.38 COP 4,360

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 MX$54.1

$3.05 COP 9,672

-3.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.24 MX$78.3

$5.50 COP 17.4K

-22.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 MX$33.17

$1.45 COP 4,600

23.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.51 MX$64.9

$2.36 COP 7,496

48.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 MX$36.97

$1.68 COP 5,328

19.05%

Eggs

$2.20 MX$40.72

$2.86 COP 9,077

-23.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.04 MX$185

$10.19 COP 32.3K

-1.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.99 MX$203

$9.53 COP 30.2K

15.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 MX$302

$14.04 COP 44.5K

16.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 MX$54.2

$4.07 COP 12.9K

-28.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 MX$27.99

$1.50 COP 4,742

0.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 MX$35.88

$2.17 COP 6,891

-10.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 MX$39.43

$2.31 COP 7,310

-7.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.40 MX$44.26

$1.93 COP 6,113

24.35%

Onion (1kg)

$3.17 MX$58.5

$1.64 COP 5,196

93.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 MX$25.73

$1.13 COP 3,571

23.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 MX$20.97

$1.25 COP 3,954

-9.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$79.5

$3.99 COP 12.6K

7.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 MX$206

$13.35 COP 42.3K

-16.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 MX$34.64

$1.70 COP 5,384

10.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 MX$47.63

$2.37 COP 7,525

8.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 MX$11.54

$1.21 COP 3,827

-48.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.79 MX$403

$76.5 COP 242.5K

-71.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.78 MX$88.4

$1.32 COP 4,179

262.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.08 MX$56.9

$2.14 COP 6,774

43.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.26 MX$78.8

$8.47 COP 26.8K

-49.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 MX$28.63

$1.30 COP 4,114

19.23%

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

$21.5K MX$396.7K

$28.0K COP 88.7M

-23.30%

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

$24.0K MX$443.2K

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-32.27%

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

$85.7 MX$1,583

$172 COP 545.6K

-50.21%

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

$25.48 MX$471

$13.37 COP 42.4K

90.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.81 MX$588

$28.73 COP 91.1K

10.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.74 MX$679

$45.24 COP 143.5K

-18.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.96 MX$276

$17.04 COP 54.0K

-12.21%

Cinema Ticket

$8.74 MX$161

$6.28 COP 19.9K

39.17%

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

$335 MX$6,187

$770 COP 2.4M

-56.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,188 MX$114.3K

$9,011 COP 28.6M

-31.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.6 MX$1,008

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-36.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.55 MX$638

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-39.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 MX$1,893

$137 COP 432.9K

-24.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 MX$1,755

$97.9 COP 310.4K

-3.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 MX$24.2K

$1,055 COP 3.3M

24.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$687 MX$12.7K

$616 COP 2.0M

11.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,068 MX$38.2K

$1,892 COP 6.0M

9.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,105 MX$20.4K

$1,023 COP 3.2M

8.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,117 MX$94.6K

$4,059 COP 12.9M

26.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,541 MX$47.0K

$1,678 COP 5.3M

51.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$910 MX$16.8K

$652 COP 2.1M

39.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.7

10.94

6.95%

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

Last update for Puerto Vallarta: October 10, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Puerto Vallarta

$687 42.9%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 10.3% $71

Groceries & Markets

Puerto Vallarta

$316 19.7%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 6.6% $21

Eating Out

Puerto Vallarta

$229 14.3%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 26.6% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Puerto Vallarta

$143 8.9%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 49.8% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Puerto Vallarta

$129 8.1%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 31.9% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Puerto Vallarta

$54 3.4%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 6.6% $3.6

Getting Around

Puerto Vallarta

$44 2.8%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 110% $49

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,311 in Puerto Vallarta 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 39% higher in Puerto Vallarta, 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 $58.0 in Puerto Vallarta versus $46.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $316 vs $295 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Puerto Vallarta

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

15:54 3:54 PM

16:54 4:54 PM

1 h ahead of Puerto Vallarta

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

224,166

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 17, 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 17, 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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Between locations

Puerto Vallarta Medellin 3,570 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 1%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,403 per month in Puerto Vallarta 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 Puerto Vallarta, 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 $58.0 in Puerto Vallarta 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 $1,602 in Puerto Vallarta and $1,614 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 1%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Puerto Vallarta, where all-in costs run around $1,602, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Puerto Vallarta it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Puerto Vallarta – 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 Vallarta. 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.