Cost of Living Comparison Between Tapachula and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Tapachula and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,115 per month in Tapachula vs $1,013 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,750 per month in Tapachula vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,385 per month in Tapachula vs $2,192 in Medellin, rent included.

Tapachula costs about 10% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Tapachula and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – Tapachula 17% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.50 MX$183

$5.99 COP 21.5K

75.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.63 MX$692

$32.86 COP 118.1K

20.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.11 MX$142

$7.09 COP 25.5K

14.39%

Cappuccino

$3.33 MX$58.2

$1.71 COP 6,154

94.74%

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

$1.23 MX$21.47

$1.10 COP 3,949

11.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 MX$17.06

$0.78 COP 2,798

25.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.45 MX$42.76

$1.68 COP 6,035

45.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.01 MX$70.1

$3.07 COP 11.0K

30.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$25.24

$1.09 COP 3,930

33.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 MX$43.95

$1.26 COP 4,536

100.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 MX$28.29

$1.38 COP 4,953

17.39%

Eggs

$2.39 MX$41.82

$2.19 COP 7,876

9.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.20 MX$143

$4.40 COP 15.8K

86.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 MX$136

$5.63 COP 20.2K

38.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.48 MX$183

$8.89 COP 32.0K

17.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$45.36

$2.34 COP 8,401

11.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$24.13

$1.06 COP 3,801

30.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.21

$1.50 COP 5,408

19.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 MX$27.80

$1.38 COP 4,955

15.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 MX$33.03

$1.15 COP 4,137

64.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 MX$34.12

$1.16 COP 4,181

68.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 MX$22.08

$0.89 COP 3,202

41.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$17.02

$0.84 COP 3,016

15.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$74.9

$2.28 COP 8,196

88.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.87 MX$190

$10.64 COP 38.2K

2.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 MX$26.98

$1.20 COP 4,311

28.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 MX$49.25

$2.47 COP 8,880

14.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 MX$11.52

$0.86 COP 3,075

-23.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 148.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 MX$46.50

$1.47 COP 5,297

80.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 MX$28.06

$1.96 COP 7,053

-17.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.53 MX$149

$7.74 COP 27.8K

10.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MX$22.79

$0.95 COP 3,430

36.84%

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

$21.1K MX$368.7K

$18.1K COP 65.2M

16.42%

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

$22.9K MX$400.3K

$26.5K COP 95.2M

-13.47%

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

$57.7 MX$1,007

$82.3 COP 295.6K

-29.86%

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

$22.58 MX$394

$9.50 COP 34.1K

137.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.23 MX$493

$24.23 COP 87.1K

16.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.59 MX$622

$25.89 COP 93.0K

37.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.07 MX$281

$19.00 COP 68.3K

-15.42%

Cinema Ticket

$4.61 MX$80.5

$3.93 COP 14.1K

17.30%

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

$203 MX$3,544

$309 COP 1.1M

-34.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,628 MX$63.4K

$5,965 COP 21.4M

-39.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.1 MX$910

$58.7 COP 210.8K

-11.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.61 MX$692

$32.35 COP 116.2K

22.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.9 MX$1,570

$103 COP 368.7K

-12.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.8 MX$1,377

$108 COP 389.6K

-27.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$511 MX$8,927

$476 COP 1.7M

7.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$394 MX$6,875

$379 COP 1.4M

3.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$944 MX$16.5K

$838 COP 3.0M

12.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$767 MX$13.4K

$724 COP 2.6M

6.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,127 MX$37.2K

$2,791 COP 10.0M

-23.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,232 MX$21.5K

$1,211 COP 4.4M

1.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.48

13.43

-14.52%

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

Last update for Tapachula: June 2, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $511 in Tapachula 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $40.00 in Tapachula versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $248 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

Tapachula vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tapachula is pricier by about 10%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,673 per month in Tapachula 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 $40.00 in Tapachula and $33.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 32% more in Tapachula, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,013, than in Tapachula at $1,115. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tapachula 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, Tapachula makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.