Cost of Living Comparison Between San Miguel de Allende and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between San Miguel de Allende and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,660 per month in San Miguel de Allende vs $1,013 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,670 per month in San Miguel de Allende vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,679 per month in San Miguel de Allende vs $2,192 in Medellin, rent included.

San Miguel de Allende costs about 64% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

San Miguel de Allende sits 24% above the global median, while Medellin is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.77 MX$186

$5.99 COP 21.4K

79.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.51 MX$822

$32.86 COP 117.4K

44.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.99 MX$138

$7.09 COP 25.3K

12.69%

Cappuccino

$3.62 MX$62.6

$1.71 COP 6,115

111.70%

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

$1.33 MX$22.93

$1.10 COP 3,924

20.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 MX$17.77

$0.78 COP 2,781

32.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.86 MX$49.46

$1.68 COP 5,997

70.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.08 MX$87.8

$3.07 COP 11.0K

65.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 MX$23.41

$1.09 COP 3,906

23.85%

White Bread (500g)

$3.88 MX$67.1

$1.26 COP 4,508

207.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 MX$31.99

$1.38 COP 4,922

34.06%

Eggs

$2.56 MX$44.27

$2.19 COP 7,827

16.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.98 MX$138

$4.40 COP 15.7K

81.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.05 MX$243

$5.63 COP 20.1K

149.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.93 MX$310

$8.89 COP 31.8K

101.69%

Apples (1kg)

$4.22 MX$73.0

$2.34 COP 8,349

80.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.77

$1.06 COP 3,777

62.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 MX$53.9

$1.50 COP 5,374

108.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.77 MX$47.88

$1.38 COP 4,924

100.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.46 MX$42.62

$1.15 COP 4,111

113.91%

Onion (1kg)

$3.13 MX$54.1

$1.16 COP 4,155

169.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.63 MX$28.17

$0.89 COP 3,182

83.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 MX$21.75

$0.84 COP 2,997

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.8

$2.28 COP 8,145

82.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.24 MX$298

$10.64 COP 38.0K

62.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 MX$41.88

$1.20 COP 4,284

101.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 MX$62.1

$2.47 COP 8,824

45.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 MX$7.06

$0.86 COP 3,056

-52.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$6.30 MX$109

$41.40 COP 147.9K

-84.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 MX$74.1

$1.47 COP 5,264

191.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.30 MX$5.21

$1.96 COP 7,009

-84.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.97 MX$138

$7.74 COP 27.6K

2.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.52

$0.95 COP 3,409

36.84%

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

$18.3K MX$316.3K

$18.1K COP 64.7M

0.86%

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

$21.3K MX$368.9K

$26.5K COP 94.6M

-19.47%

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

$58.8 MX$1,016

$82.3 COP 293.7K

-28.57%

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

$21.58 MX$373

$9.50 COP 33.9K

127.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.20 MX$592

$24.23 COP 86.5K

41.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.84 MX$810

$25.89 COP 92.4K

80.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.84 MX$689

$19.00 COP 67.9K

109.68%

Cinema Ticket

$6.94 MX$120

$3.93 COP 14.0K

76.59%

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

$341 MX$5,897

$309 COP 1.1M

10.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,844 MX$83.8K

$5,965 COP 21.3M

-18.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.6 MX$1,083

$58.7 COP 209.5K

6.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 MX$988

$32.35 COP 115.5K

76.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 MX$1,921

$103 COP 366.4K

8.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 MX$2,455

$108 COP 387.2K

30.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,105 MX$19.1K

$476 COP 1.7M

132.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 MX$12.6K

$379 COP 1.4M

92.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,537 MX$43.9K

$838 COP 3.0M

202.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,566 MX$27.1K

$724 COP 2.6M

116.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,890 MX$50.0K

$2,791 COP 10.0M

3.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,717 MX$29.7K

$1,211 COP 4.3M

41.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$662 MX$11.4K

$512 COP 1.8M

29.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.17

13.43

-9.38%

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

Last update for San Miguel de Allende: June 1, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,105 in San Miguel de Allende 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 29% higher in San Miguel de Allende, 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 $48.00 in San Miguel de Allende versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $365 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

San Miguel de Allende vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – San Miguel de Allende is pricier by about 64%, 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 $2,491 per month in San Miguel de Allende 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 $48.00 in San Miguel de Allende 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 $1,660 in San Miguel de Allende 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 San Miguel de Allende at $1,660. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in San Miguel de Allende 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, San Miguel de Allende makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.