Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Luis Rio Colorado and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in San Luis Rio Colorado: $1,229 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

San Luis Rio Colorado, Mexico
Medellin, Colombia
San Luis Rio Colorado
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,229
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,229 per month in San Luis Rio Colorado vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

  • San Luis Rio Colorado $1,229
  • Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $1,860 per month in San Luis Rio Colorado vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

  • San Luis Rio Colorado $1,860
  • Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $2,491 per month in San Luis Rio Colorado vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

  • San Luis Rio Colorado $2,491
  • Medellin $3,186

San Luis Rio Colorado is about 25% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

San Luis Rio Colorado sits 10% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
San Luis Rio Colorado
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.95 MX$223
$8.09 COP 25.4K
47.71%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$33.23 MX$620
$47.05 COP 148.0K
-29.37%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.45 MX$176
$9.50 COP 29.9K
-0.53%
Cappuccino
$4.19 MX$78.2
$3.01 COP 9,485
39.20%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.42 MX$26.45
$1.80 COP 5,660
-21.11%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.23 MX$22.94
$1.41 COP 4,443
-12.77%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.16 MX$58.9
$3.18 COP 9,990
-0.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.43 MX$120
$5.75 COP 18.1K
11.83%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
San Luis Rio Colorado
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.72 MX$32.06
$1.51 COP 4,751
13.91%
White Bread (500g)
$2.93 MX$54.7
$2.38 COP 7,480
23.11%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.76 MX$32.80
$1.77 COP 5,573
-0.56%
Eggs
$3.10 MX$57.7
$2.89 COP 9,093
7.27%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.46 MX$158
$10.19 COP 32.1K
-16.98%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.24 MX$135
$9.87 COP 31.1K
-26.65%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.50 MX$214
$13.99 COP 44.0K
-17.80%
Apples (1kg)
$2.87 MX$53.6
$3.97 COP 12.5K
-27.71%
Banana (1kg)
$1.59 MX$29.71
$1.55 COP 4,883
2.58%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.96 MX$36.57
$2.18 COP 6,867
-10.09%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.56 MX$29.13
$2.18 COP 6,870
-28.44%
Potato (1kg)
$1.49 MX$27.69
$1.96 COP 6,174
-23.98%
Onion (1kg)
$1.82 MX$33.84
$1.59 COP 5,000
14.47%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.45 MX$27.04
$1.15 COP 3,604
26.09%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.04 MX$19.42
$1.24 COP 3,911
-16.13%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.39 MX$81.8
$3.96 COP 12.5K
10.86%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.98 MX$149
$13.68 COP 43.0K
-41.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.21 MX$41.19
$1.66 COP 5,221
33.13%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.02 MX$75.0
$2.26 COP 7,103
77.88%
🚌 Getting Around
San Luis Rio Colorado
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.69 MX$12.79
$1.17 COP 3,674
-41.03%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$32.51 MX$606
$77.4 COP 243.4K
-57.98%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.75 MX$51.2
$1.27 COP 3,989
116.54%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.20 MX$41.09
$2.05 COP 6,442
7.32%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.75 MX$200
$8.55 COP 26.9K
25.73%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.50 MX$27.97
$1.35 COP 4,237
11.11%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.2K MX$451.7K
$34.1K COP 107.2M
-28.87%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.6K MX$440.2K
$34.7K COP 109.1M
-31.89%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
San Luis Rio Colorado
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$46.01 MX$858
$170 COP 533.7K
-72.88%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$32.95 MX$614
$13.55 COP 42.6K
143.17%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.62 MX$552
$28.07 COP 88.3K
5.52%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
San Luis Rio Colorado
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$32.11 MX$598
$43.70 COP 137.5K
-26.52%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.37 MX$361
$17.19 COP 54.1K
12.68%
Cinema Ticket
$6.45 MX$120
$6.91 COP 21.7K
-6.66%
🧸 Childcare & Education
San Luis Rio Colorado
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$206 MX$3,832
$797 COP 2.5M
-74.20%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,436 MX$82.7K
$9,112 COP 28.7M
-51.32%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
San Luis Rio Colorado
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.5 MX$979
$84.7 COP 266.5K
-38.03%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.76 MX$853
$58.0 COP 182.3K
-21.05%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$103 MX$1,917
$135 COP 424.6K
-23.82%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$69.7 MX$1,299
$97.9 COP 307.9K
-28.77%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
San Luis Rio Colorado
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$572 MX$10.7K
$1,208 COP 3.8M
-52.67%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$428 MX$7,976
$642 COP 2.0M
-33.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$893 MX$16.6K
$2,028 COP 6.4M
-55.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$668 MX$12.5K
$1,012 COP 3.2M
-33.96%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,110 MX$39.3K
$4,170 COP 13.1M
-49.41%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,092 MX$20.3K
$1,910 COP 6.0M
-42.86%
💵 Salaries & Financials
San Luis Rio Colorado
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$657 COP 2.1M
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
12.07
10.94
10.33%

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

Last update for San Luis Rio Colorado: October 24, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
San Luis Rio Colorado
$428
Medellin
$642 49.9% $214
Groceries & Markets
San Luis Rio Colorado
$263
Medellin
$297 12.9% $34
Eating Out
San Luis Rio Colorado
$213
Medellin
$170 20.6% $44
Clothing & Footwear
San Luis Rio Colorado
$122
Medellin
$169 38.7% $47
Monthly Utilities & Internet
San Luis Rio Colorado
$109
Medellin
$211 94.6% $103
Getting Around
San Luis Rio Colorado
$49
Medellin
$94 90.8% $45
Sport & Entertainment
San Luis Rio Colorado
$45
Medellin
$58 27.8% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $572 in San Luis Rio Colorado 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 $33 in San Luis Rio Colorado versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $263 vs $297 – making San Luis Rio Colorado the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 San Luis Rio Colorado
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
08:03 8:03 AM
10:03 10:03 AM
2 h ahead of San Luis Rio Colorado
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
176,685
2,486,723
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,501 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • San Luis Rio Colorado Medellin 4,990 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • San Luis Rio Colorado
  • 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 Luis Rio Colorado vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is San Luis Rio Colorado cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 33%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,843 per month in San Luis Rio Colorado 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 Luis Rio Colorado, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $572 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.
Is eating out cheaper in San Luis Rio Colorado or in Medellin?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $33 in San Luis Rio Colorado 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 Luis Rio Colorado and in Medellin?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,229 in San Luis Rio Colorado and $1,639 in Medellin. That’s a gap of about 33%.
Is $1,000 enough to cover costs in San Luis Rio Colorado or in Medellin?
$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,229 in San Luis Rio Colorado and $1,639 in Medellin. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Is San Luis Rio Colorado or Medellin more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward San Luis Rio Colorado – 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 Luis Rio Colorado is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 33% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

San Luis Rio Colorado vs other spots: cost of living compared

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