Cost of Living Comparison Between Queretaro and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Queretaro and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,276 per month in Queretaro vs $1,013 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,010 per month in Queretaro vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,744 per month in Queretaro vs $2,192 in Medellin, rent included.

Queretaro costs about 26% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Queretaro and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – Queretaro 5% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.85 MX$170

$5.99 COP 21.4K

64.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.14 MX$798

$32.86 COP 117.4K

40.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.05 MX$139

$7.09 COP 25.3K

13.54%

Cappuccino

$3.60 MX$62.3

$1.71 COP 6,115

110.53%

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

$1.31 MX$22.59

$1.10 COP 3,924

19.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.51

$0.78 COP 2,781

21.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.33 MX$40.25

$1.68 COP 5,997

38.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 MX$74.4

$3.07 COP 11.0K

40.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.72

$1.09 COP 3,906

41.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 MX$46.28

$1.26 COP 4,508

112.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 MX$33.74

$1.38 COP 4,922

41.30%

Eggs

$2.37 MX$41.00

$2.19 COP 7,827

8.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.07 MX$140

$4.40 COP 15.7K

83.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.79 MX$169

$5.63 COP 20.1K

73.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.86 MX$222

$8.89 COP 31.8K

44.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 MX$62.2

$2.34 COP 8,349

53.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.31

$1.06 COP 3,777

37.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$32.87

$1.50 COP 5,374

26.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.87

$1.38 COP 4,924

28.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.84

$1.15 COP 4,111

54.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.51

$1.16 COP 4,155

62.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 MX$21.60

$0.89 COP 3,182

40.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 MX$19.76

$0.84 COP 2,997

35.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.24 MX$73.4

$2.28 COP 8,145

85.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.05 MX$295

$10.64 COP 38.0K

60.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 MX$34.45

$1.20 COP 4,284

65.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 MX$57.2

$2.47 COP 8,824

34.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.32

$0.86 COP 3,056

-30.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.90 MX$413

$41.40 COP 147.9K

-42.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$54.2

$1.47 COP 5,264

112.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 MX$21.36

$1.96 COP 7,009

-36.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.39 MX$162

$7.74 COP 27.6K

21.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.66

$0.95 COP 3,409

37.89%

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

$20.0K MX$345.2K

$18.1K COP 64.7M

10.06%

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

$20.6K MX$356.5K

$26.5K COP 94.6M

-22.19%

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

$63.4 MX$1,097

$82.3 COP 293.7K

-22.89%

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

$24.19 MX$418

$9.50 COP 33.9K

154.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.06 MX$485

$24.23 COP 86.5K

15.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.09 MX$849

$25.89 COP 92.4K

89.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.23 MX$454

$19.00 COP 67.9K

38.05%

Cinema Ticket

$6.07 MX$105

$3.93 COP 14.0K

54.45%

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

$319 MX$5,526

$309 COP 1.1M

3.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,824 MX$83.4K

$5,965 COP 21.3M

-19.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.4 MX$889

$58.7 COP 209.5K

-12.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 MX$728

$32.35 COP 115.5K

30.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 MX$1,722

$103 COP 366.4K

-2.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 MX$1,658

$108 COP 387.2K

-11.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$633 MX$10.9K

$476 COP 1.7M

32.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$497 MX$8,599

$379 COP 1.4M

31.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 MX$20.6K

$838 COP 3.0M

42.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$792 MX$13.7K

$724 COP 2.6M

9.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,333 MX$40.4K

$2,791 COP 10.0M

-16.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,347 MX$23.3K

$1,211 COP 4.3M

11.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$924 MX$16.0K

$512 COP 1.8M

80.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

13.43

-14.00%

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

Last update for Queretaro: May 30, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $633 in Queretaro versus $476 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 80% higher in Queretaro, 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 $46.00 in Queretaro versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $293 vs $188 – 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

Queretaro vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Queretaro is pricier by about 26%, 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 $1,913 per month in Queretaro and $1,519 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 $46.00 in Queretaro and $33.00 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 $1,276 in Queretaro and $1,013 in Medellin. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,013, than in Queretaro at $1,276. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Queretaro 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.

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 Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Queretaro makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.