Cost of Living Comparison Between Tampico and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Tampico and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,093 per month in Tampico vs $1,013 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,742 per month in Tampico vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,390 per month in Tampico vs $2,192 in Medellin, rent included.

Tampico costs about 8% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.47 MX$112

$5.99 COP 21.4K

8.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.92 MX$727

$32.86 COP 117.2K

27.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.99 MX$104

$7.09 COP 25.3K

-15.51%

Cappuccino

$3.34 MX$57.8

$1.71 COP 6,105

95.32%

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

$0.86 MX$14.93

$1.10 COP 3,918

-21.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.26

$0.78 COP 2,776

5.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.42 MX$24.69

$1.68 COP 5,987

-15.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 MX$36.30

$3.07 COP 10.9K

-31.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$25.05

$1.09 COP 3,899

33.03%

White Bread (500g)

$3.89 MX$67.4

$1.26 COP 4,500

208.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 MX$26.79

$1.38 COP 4,914

12.32%

Eggs

$3.98 MX$69.0

$2.19 COP 7,813

81.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.47 MX$77.5

$4.40 COP 15.7K

1.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.46 MX$147

$5.63 COP 20.1K

50.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.05 MX$191

$8.89 COP 31.7K

24.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 MX$47.99

$2.34 COP 8,334

18.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 MX$20.78

$1.06 COP 3,771

13.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 MX$30.41

$1.50 COP 5,365

16.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 MX$27.59

$1.38 COP 4,915

15.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 MX$31.76

$1.15 COP 4,104

59.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.68

$1.16 COP 4,148

87.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 MX$28.48

$0.89 COP 3,176

84.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 MX$15.52

$0.84 COP 2,992

7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$73.9

$2.28 COP 8,131

87.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.82 MX$188

$10.64 COP 37.9K

1.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 MX$30.50

$1.20 COP 4,276

46.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 MX$45.01

$2.47 COP 8,809

5.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 MX$13.28

$0.86 COP 3,051

-10.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.44 MX$458

$41.40 COP 147.6K

-36.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 MX$46.01

$1.47 COP 5,255

80.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.49 MX$43.15

$1.96 COP 6,997

27.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.94 MX$85.6

$7.74 COP 27.6K

-36.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 MX$22.98

$0.95 COP 3,403

40.00%

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

$41.7K MX$722.3K

$18.1K COP 64.6M

129.88%

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

$22.0K MX$380.9K

$26.5K COP 94.4M

-17.01%

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

$79.0 MX$1,369

$82.3 COP 293.2K

-3.93%

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

$25.85 MX$448

$9.50 COP 33.9K

172.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.95 MX$415

$24.23 COP 86.4K

-1.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.83 MX$673

$25.89 COP 92.3K

49.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.82 MX$274

$19.00 COP 67.7K

-16.74%

Cinema Ticket

$5.19 MX$89.9

$3.93 COP 14.0K

32.06%

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

$238 MX$4,122

$309 COP 1.1M

-23.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,662 MX$63.5K

$5,965 COP 21.3M

-38.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 MX$1,468

$58.7 COP 209.1K

44.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.7 MX$1,087

$32.35 COP 115.3K

93.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$161 MX$2,787

$103 COP 365.7K

56.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.6 MX$1,362

$108 COP 386.5K

-27.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$502 MX$8,695

$476 COP 1.7M

5.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$317 MX$5,496

$379 COP 1.4M

-16.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$819 MX$14.2K

$838 COP 3.0M

-2.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$617 MX$10.7K

$724 COP 2.6M

-14.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,682 MX$29.1K

$2,791 COP 9.9M

-39.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,410 MX$24.4K

$1,211 COP 4.3M

16.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$597 MX$10.3K

$512 COP 1.8M

16.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.75

13.43

-12.51%

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

Last update for Tampico: June 2, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $502 in Tampico 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 17% higher in Tampico, 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 $42.00 in Tampico versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $263 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

Tampico vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tampico is pricier by about 8%, 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 $1,640 per month in Tampico 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 $42.00 in Tampico 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 $1,093 in Tampico 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 Tampico at $1,093. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tampico 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, Tampico makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.