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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,126 per month in Tapachula vs $1,030 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,748 per month in Tapachula vs $1,586 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,371 per month in Tapachula vs $2,143 in Medellin, rent included.

Tapachula costs about 9% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Tapachula and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – Tapachula 16% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.56 MX$183

$5.92 COP 21.2K

78.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.97 MX$675

$33.17 COP 118.7K

17.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.98 MX$138

$7.25 COP 25.9K

10.07%

Cappuccino

$3.40 MX$58.9

$1.71 COP 6,137

98.83%

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

$1.24 MX$21.44

$1.09 COP 3,915

13.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 MX$16.99

$0.77 COP 2,743

27.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.44 MX$42.26

$1.75 COP 6,254

39.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.84 MX$66.5

$3.18 COP 11.4K

20.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 MX$25.69

$1.06 COP 3,792

39.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 MX$44.12

$1.30 COP 4,657

96.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.20

$1.38 COP 4,926

13.77%

Eggs

$2.40 MX$41.54

$2.21 COP 7,908

8.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.92 MX$137

$4.52 COP 16.2K

75.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.81 MX$135

$5.80 COP 20.7K

34.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.68 MX$185

$8.97 COP 32.1K

19.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.72 MX$47.11

$2.29 COP 8,182

18.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$23.97

$1.06 COP 3,791

30.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.73 MX$30.05

$1.51 COP 5,411

14.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 MX$27.70

$1.36 COP 4,869

17.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 MX$33.24

$1.16 COP 4,146

65.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.41

$1.17 COP 4,174

64.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 MX$21.80

$0.83 COP 2,960

51.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 MX$16.88

$0.85 COP 3,043

14.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.25 MX$73.7

$2.35 COP 8,423

80.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.15 MX$176

$11.09 COP 39.7K

-8.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 MX$27.10

$1.15 COP 4,133

35.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 MX$49.09

$2.47 COP 8,853

14.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 MX$11.30

$0.79 COP 2,827

-17.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.85 COP 149.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.52 MX$43.65

$1.44 COP 5,140

75.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 MX$26.43

$1.90 COP 6,793

-19.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.49 MX$147

$7.70 COP 27.6K

10.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 MX$21.79

$1.03 COP 3,680

22.33%

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

$21.3K MX$368.7K

$17.7K COP 63.3M

20.32%

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

$22.6K MX$391.1K

$27.0K COP 96.7M

-16.47%

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

$56.6 MX$981

$81.4 COP 291.4K

-30.47%

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

$22.51 MX$390

$9.42 COP 33.7K

138.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.01 MX$485

$23.77 COP 85.1K

17.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.34 MX$630

$25.86 COP 92.6K

40.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.65 MX$271

$19.34 COP 69.2K

-19.08%

Cinema Ticket

$4.62 MX$80.0

$4.05 COP 14.5K

14.07%

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

$210 MX$3,640

$312 COP 1.1M

-32.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,543 MX$61.4K

$6,067 COP 21.7M

-41.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 MX$924

$58.9 COP 210.7K

-9.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.90 MX$692

$32.82 COP 117.5K

21.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.0 MX$1,543

$100 COP 359.6K

-11.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.5 MX$1,360

$106 COP 380.3K

-26.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$517 MX$8,952

$490 COP 1.8M

5.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$396 MX$6,857

$371 COP 1.3M

6.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$917 MX$15.9K

$838 COP 3.0M

9.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$759 MX$13.1K

$715 COP 2.6M

6.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,018 MX$35.0K

$2,952 COP 10.6M

-31.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,216 MX$21.1K

$1,394 COP 5.0M

-12.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$532 COP 1.9M

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: April 21, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $517 in Tapachula versus $490 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 $39 in Tapachula versus $33 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $248 vs $190 – 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 9%, 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 $1,688 per month in Tapachula and $1,544 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 $39.00 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 30% 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 $1,030, than in Tapachula at $1,126. 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.