Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saltillo and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Saltillo: $1,313 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

64

Cost of Living Index in Saltillo
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Saltillo Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Saltillo

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,313

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,313 per month in Saltillo vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

Saltillo $1,313
Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $2,095 per month in Saltillo vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

Saltillo $2,095
Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $2,877 per month in Saltillo vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

Saltillo $2,877
Medellin $3,190

Saltillo is about 19% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Saltillo sits 3% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.88 MX$201

$7.93 COP 25.2K

37.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.37 MX$912

$46.13 COP 146.3K

7.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.49 MX$120

$9.50 COP 30.1K

-31.68%

Cappuccino

$3.50 MX$64.7

$3.11 COP 9,866

12.54%

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

$1.32 MX$24.35

$1.83 COP 5,800

-27.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$19.73

$1.38 COP 4,360

-22.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.15 MX$39.72

$3.05 COP 9,672

-29.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.76 MX$69.5

$5.50 COP 17.4K

-31.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 MX$27.98

$1.45 COP 4,600

4.14%

White Bread (500g)

$3.60 MX$66.6

$2.36 COP 7,496

52.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 MX$36.27

$1.68 COP 5,328

16.67%

Eggs

$2.34 MX$43.32

$2.86 COP 9,077

-18.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.76 MX$199

$10.19 COP 32.3K

5.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.34 MX$154

$9.53 COP 30.2K

-12.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.76 MX$180

$14.04 COP 44.5K

-30.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 MX$49.79

$4.07 COP 12.9K

-33.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 MX$23.10

$1.50 COP 4,742

-16.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 MX$31.97

$2.17 COP 6,891

-20.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 MX$36.26

$2.31 COP 7,310

-15.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.20 MX$40.65

$1.93 COP 6,113

13.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 MX$45.80

$1.64 COP 5,196

51.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 MX$23.22

$1.13 COP 3,571

11.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 MX$19.79

$1.25 COP 3,954

-14.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$79.0

$3.99 COP 12.6K

7.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.45 MX$193

$13.35 COP 42.3K

-21.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 MX$42.44

$1.70 COP 5,384

35.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 MX$26.72

$2.37 COP 7,525

-38.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.81 MX$14.95

$1.21 COP 3,827

-33.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.67 MX$308

$76.5 COP 242.5K

-78.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 MX$49.42

$1.32 COP 4,179

102.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.99 MX$36.75

$2.14 COP 6,774

-7.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.64 MX$308

$8.47 COP 26.8K

96.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$26.60

$1.30 COP 4,114

10.77%

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

$18.9K MX$349.5K

$28.0K COP 88.7M

-32.43%

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

$24.0K MX$442.9K

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-32.33%

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

$47.87 MX$885

$172 COP 545.6K

-72.18%

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

$33.45 MX$618

$13.37 COP 42.4K

150.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.82 MX$551

$28.73 COP 91.1K

3.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.0 MX$1,034

$45.24 COP 143.5K

23.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.65 MX$252

$17.04 COP 54.0K

-19.89%

Cinema Ticket

$5.86 MX$108

$6.28 COP 19.9K

-6.69%

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

$249 MX$4,600

$770 COP 2.4M

-67.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,673 MX$49.4K

$9,011 COP 28.6M

-70.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 MX$1,048

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-34.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.7 MX$1,028

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-2.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.2 MX$1,612

$137 COP 432.9K

-36.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 MX$2,310

$97.9 COP 310.4K

27.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$561 MX$10.4K

$1,055 COP 3.3M

-46.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$506 MX$9,344

$616 COP 2.0M

-17.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$967 MX$17.9K

$1,892 COP 6.0M

-48.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$962 MX$17.8K

$1,023 COP 3.2M

-5.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$545 MX$10.1K

$4,059 COP 12.9M

-86.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$891 MX$16.5K

$1,678 COP 5.3M

-46.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$796 MX$14.7K

$652 COP 2.1M

22.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.53

10.94

-3.75%

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

Last update for Saltillo: 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

Saltillo

$506 38.5%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 21.8% $110

Groceries & Markets

Saltillo

$274 20.9%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 7.5% $21

Eating Out

Saltillo

$176 13.4%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 4.5% $7.9

Clothing & Footwear

Saltillo

$146 11.1%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 16.5% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saltillo

$111 8.5%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 92.7% $103

Sport & Entertainment

Saltillo

$68 5.2%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 14.6% $9.9

Getting Around

Saltillo

$33 2.5%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 187% $61

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $561 in Saltillo 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 22% higher in Saltillo, 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 $49.00 in Saltillo versus $46.00 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $274 in Saltillo vs $295 in Medellin – so Saltillo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Saltillo

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

18:32 6:32 PM

19:32 7:32 PM

1 h ahead of Saltillo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

864,431

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

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Between locations

Saltillo Medellin 3,440 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Saltillo
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

Saltillo vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 23%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,970 per month in Saltillo 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 Saltillo, 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 $49.00 in Saltillo 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 $1,313 in Saltillo and $1,614 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 23%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Saltillo, where all-in costs run around $1,313, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Saltillo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Saltillo – 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 Saltillo. 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.