Cost of Living Comparison Between Rosarito and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Rosarito and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,108 per month in Rosarito vs $1,017 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,768 per month in Rosarito vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,427 per month in Rosarito vs $2,188 in Medellin, rent included.

Rosarito costs about 9% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Rosarito and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – Rosarito 18% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.16 MX$209

$5.95 COP 20.8K

104.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.19 MX$535

$33.33 COP 116.3K

-6.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.08 MX$139

$7.23 COP 25.2K

11.76%

Cappuccino

$3.86 MX$66.3

$1.63 COP 5,687

136.81%

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

$1.11 MX$18.97

$1.09 COP 3,821

1.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.70

$0.73 COP 2,548

32.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.83 MX$48.56

$1.74 COP 6,065

62.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.02 MX$86.1

$3.23 COP 11.3K

55.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 MX$28.41

$1.05 COP 3,662

58.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 MX$42.17

$1.29 COP 4,515

90.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 MX$31.45

$1.32 COP 4,617

38.64%

Eggs

$3.22 MX$55.4

$2.27 COP 7,927

41.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.40 MX$127

$4.35 COP 15.2K

70.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.83 MX$100

$5.88 COP 20.5K

-0.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.37 MX$178

$8.61 COP 30.0K

20.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.57 MX$44.14

$2.25 COP 7,844

14.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 MX$26.56

$1.07 COP 3,733

44.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 MX$31.20

$1.52 COP 5,322

19.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.23

$1.42 COP 4,964

15.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.05

$1.17 COP 4,084

39.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.17 COP 4,077

58.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 MX$18.88

$0.89 COP 3,096

23.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 MX$16.81

$0.90 COP 3,146

8.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.03 MX$69.1

$2.25 COP 7,837

79.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.77 MX$151

$11.04 COP 38.5K

-20.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 MX$32.85

$1.14 COP 3,977

67.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 MX$57.7

$2.38 COP 8,301

41.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 MX$11.14

$0.84 COP 2,916

-22.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.75 MX$47.21

$1.41 COP 4,912

95.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 MX$26.44

$1.90 COP 6,634

-18.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.09 MX$53.1

$7.75 COP 27.0K

-60.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 MX$21.51

$1.01 COP 3,509

23.76%

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

$23.5K MX$402.6K

$17.6K COP 61.4M

33.42%

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

$20.5K MX$352.5K

$26.5K COP 92.5M

-22.49%

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

$57.3 MX$983

$83.7 COP 292.1K

-31.52%

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

$27.98 MX$480

$9.45 COP 33.0K

196.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.42 MX$539

$24.11 COP 84.1K

30.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.53 MX$610

$25.31 COP 88.3K

40.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.13 MX$277

$19.14 COP 66.8K

-15.73%

Cinema Ticket

$4.60 MX$78.9

$4.10 COP 14.3K

12.20%

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

$209 MX$3,582

$312 COP 1.1M

-33.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,765 MX$47.5K

$5,993 COP 20.9M

-53.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.94 MX$737

$58.0 COP 202.6K

-26.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.41 MX$591

$32.56 COP 113.6K

5.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.1 MX$1,495

$99.6 COP 347.7K

-12.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.7 MX$1,180

$109 COP 378.8K

-36.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$519 MX$8,900

$482 COP 1.7M

7.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$393 MX$6,745

$379 COP 1.3M

3.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$916 MX$15.7K

$837 COP 2.9M

9.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$760 MX$13.0K

$723 COP 2.5M

5.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,674 MX$28.7K

$2,840 COP 9.9M

-41.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,386 MX$23.8K

$1,223 COP 4.3M

13.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.8

13.43

-12.14%

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

Last update for Rosarito: June 9, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $519 in Rosarito versus $482 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 $31.00 in Rosarito versus $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $240 in Rosarito 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

Rosarito vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Rosarito is pricier by about 9%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,662 per month in Rosarito and $1,525 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 $31.00 in Rosarito and $33.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 27% more in Rosarito, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,017, than in Rosarito at $1,108. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Rosarito 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.

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