Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Felipe and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in San Felipe: $1,147 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

San Felipe, Mexico
Medellin, Colombia
San Felipe
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,147
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,147 per month in San Felipe vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

  • San Felipe $1,147
  • Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $1,774 per month in San Felipe vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

  • San Felipe $1,774
  • Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $2,402 per month in San Felipe vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

  • San Felipe $2,402
  • Medellin $3,186

San Felipe is about 30% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

San Felipe sits 16% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
San Felipe
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.93 MX$130
$8.09 COP 26.1K
-14.34%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.02 MX$806
$47.05 COP 151.9K
-8.57%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.45 MX$158
$9.50 COP 30.7K
-11.05%
Cappuccino
$3.69 MX$69.2
$3.01 COP 9,734
22.59%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.39 MX$26.06
$1.80 COP 5,809
-22.78%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.08 MX$20.20
$1.41 COP 4,560
-23.40%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.48 MX$46.41
$3.18 COP 10.3K
-22.01%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.99 MX$74.8
$5.75 COP 18.6K
-30.61%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
San Felipe
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.62 MX$30.35
$1.51 COP 4,875
7.28%
White Bread (500g)
$2.46 MX$46.18
$2.38 COP 7,677
3.36%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.82 MX$34.01
$1.77 COP 5,719
2.82%
Eggs
$2.50 MX$46.90
$2.89 COP 9,332
-13.49%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.91 MX$129
$10.19 COP 32.9K
-32.19%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.45 MX$158
$9.87 COP 31.9K
-14.39%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.78 MX$183
$13.99 COP 45.2K
-30.09%
Apples (1kg)
$2.62 MX$49.09
$3.97 COP 12.8K
-34.01%
Banana (1kg)
$1.48 MX$27.78
$1.55 COP 5,011
-4.52%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.00 MX$37.42
$2.18 COP 7,047
-8.26%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.00 MX$37.47
$2.18 COP 7,050
-8.26%
Potato (1kg)
$2.17 MX$40.73
$1.96 COP 6,336
10.71%
Onion (1kg)
$1.65 MX$30.98
$1.59 COP 5,131
3.77%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.41 MX$26.50
$1.15 COP 3,698
22.61%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.99 MX$18.57
$1.24 COP 4,014
-20.16%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.00 MX$74.9
$3.96 COP 12.8K
1.01%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.48 MX$196
$13.68 COP 44.2K
-23.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.71 MX$32.05
$1.66 COP 5,359
3.01%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.05 MX$57.1
$2.26 COP 7,290
34.96%
🚌 Getting Around
San Felipe
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.66 MX$12.34
$1.17 COP 3,770
-43.59%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$30.03 MX$563
$77.4 COP 249.8K
-61.19%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.52 MX$47.23
$1.27 COP 4,094
98.43%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.12 MX$39.66
$2.05 COP 6,611
3.41%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.79 MX$202
$8.55 COP 27.6K
26.20%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.52 MX$28.57
$1.35 COP 4,348
12.59%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$20.5K MX$384.4K
$34.1K COP 110.0M
-39.79%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.0K MX$486.6K
$34.7K COP 111.9M
-25.10%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
San Felipe
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$53.4 MX$1,000
$170 COP 547.7K
-68.54%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.75 MX$445
$13.55 COP 43.7K
75.28%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.04 MX$600
$28.07 COP 90.6K
14.14%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
San Felipe
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$30.17 MX$565
$43.70 COP 141.1K
-30.96%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.16 MX$359
$17.19 COP 55.5K
11.46%
Cinema Ticket
$4.96 MX$92.9
$6.91 COP 22.3K
-28.22%
🧸 Childcare & Education
San Felipe
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$237 MX$4,445
$797 COP 2.6M
-70.23%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,867 MX$91.2K
$9,112 COP 29.4M
-46.58%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
San Felipe
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$60.7 MX$1,137
$84.7 COP 273.5K
-28.35%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.06 MX$694
$58.0 COP 187.1K
-36.06%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$101 MX$1,890
$135 COP 435.7K
-25.27%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$100 MX$1,882
$97.9 COP 316.0K
2.62%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
San Felipe
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$624 MX$11.7K
$1,208 COP 3.9M
-48.36%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$409 MX$7,661
$642 COP 2.1M
-36.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$895 MX$16.8K
$2,028 COP 6.5M
-55.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$677 MX$12.7K
$1,012 COP 3.3M
-33.13%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,143 MX$40.2K
$4,170 COP 13.5M
-48.61%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,160 MX$21.7K
$1,910 COP 6.2M
-39.29%
💵 Salaries & Financials
San Felipe
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$657 COP 2.1M
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.31
10.94
3.38%

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

Last update for San Felipe: October 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
San Felipe
$409
Medellin
$642 56.9% $233
Groceries & Markets
San Felipe
$253
Medellin
$297 17.2% $44
Eating Out
San Felipe
$155
Medellin
$170 9.2% $14
Clothing & Footwear
San Felipe
$135
Medellin
$169 25.6% $34
Monthly Utilities & Internet
San Felipe
$109
Medellin
$211 93.5% $102
Getting Around
San Felipe
$46
Medellin
$94 104% $48
Sport & Entertainment
San Felipe
$40
Medellin
$58 43.5% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $624 in San Felipe versus $1,208 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 $43 in San Felipe versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $253 vs $297 – making San Felipe the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 San Felipe
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
23:40 11:40 PM
00:40 12:40 AM
1 h ahead of San Felipe
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
28,452
2,486,723
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 21 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,619 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • San Felipe Medellin 3,230 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • San Felipe
  • 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
San Felipe vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is San Felipe cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 43%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,721 per month in San Felipe and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in San Felipe, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $624 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.
Is eating out cheaper in San Felipe or in Medellin?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $43 in San Felipe and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in San Felipe and in Medellin?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,147 in San Felipe and $1,639 in Medellin. That makes San Felipe about 30% cheaper.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in San Felipe or in Medellin?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in San Felipe, where all-in costs run around $1,147, than in Medellin at $1,639. In San Felipe it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is San Felipe or Medellin more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward San Felipe – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
For expats, San Felipe is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 30% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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