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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,107 per month in Tapachula vs $1,018 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,766 per month in Tapachula vs $1,609 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,425 per month in Tapachula vs $2,200 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 17% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.48 MX$182

$5.93 COP 19.0K

76.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.52 MX$688

$33.12 COP 106.0K

19.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.12 MX$141

$7.12 COP 22.8K

14.04%

Cappuccino

$3.22 MX$56.0

$1.71 COP 5,457

88.30%

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

$1.23 MX$21.47

$1.05 COP 3,356

17.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.56

$0.72 COP 2,311

31.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.31 MX$40.20

$1.72 COP 5,502

34.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 MX$69.0

$3.17 COP 10.2K

24.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 MX$25.10

$1.06 COP 3,408

35.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.61 MX$45.34

$1.31 COP 4,192

99.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 MX$27.33

$1.33 COP 4,256

18.05%

Eggs

$2.39 MX$41.57

$2.28 COP 7,298

4.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.81 MX$136

$4.42 COP 14.1K

76.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 MX$138

$5.92 COP 18.9K

34.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.51 MX$183

$8.64 COP 27.7K

21.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.61 MX$45.46

$2.34 COP 7,504

11.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$24.95

$1.10 COP 3,527

30.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 MX$29.89

$1.47 COP 4,698

17.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.47

$1.38 COP 4,415

18.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 MX$31.88

$1.17 COP 3,754

56.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 MX$33.44

$1.17 COP 3,744

64.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 MX$21.69

$0.90 COP 2,890

38.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 MX$17.72

$0.84 COP 2,693

21.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.30 MX$74.8

$2.33 COP 7,449

84.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.38 MX$181

$11.92 COP 38.1K

-12.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 MX$27.11

$1.15 COP 3,673

35.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 MX$49.51

$2.42 COP 7,749

17.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 MX$11.33

$0.84 COP 2,687

-22.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 130.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.56 MX$44.51

$1.41 COP 4,517

81.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 MX$26.68

$1.91 COP 6,127

-19.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.26 MX$144

$7.83 COP 25.0K

5.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$22.15

$0.94 COP 3,020

35.11%

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

$21.5K MX$374.7K

$17.8K COP 57.0M

20.85%

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

$22.5K MX$391.8K

$27.1K COP 86.7M

-16.85%

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

$57.0 MX$992

$83.3 COP 266.4K

-31.56%

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

$22.13 MX$385

$9.66 COP 30.9K

129.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.04 MX$488

$24.22 COP 77.5K

15.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.80 MX$623

$25.22 COP 80.7K

41.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.15 MX$281

$19.33 COP 61.9K

-16.45%

Cinema Ticket

$4.67 MX$81.3

$4.07 COP 13.0K

14.74%

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

$204 MX$3,549

$307 COP 981.2K

-33.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,597 MX$62.6K

$5,981 COP 19.1M

-39.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.2 MX$907

$60.0 COP 191.9K

-13.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.34 MX$702

$32.65 COP 104.5K

23.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.9 MX$1,564

$101 COP 323.5K

-11.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.1 MX$1,360

$108 COP 345.7K

-27.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$504 MX$8,767

$476 COP 1.5M

5.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$404 MX$7,023

$379 COP 1.2M

6.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$917 MX$16.0K

$816 COP 2.6M

12.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$778 MX$13.5K

$707 COP 2.3M

9.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,675 MX$29.1K

$3,190 COP 10.2M

-47.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,263 MX$22.0K

$1,446 COP 4.6M

-12.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$622 COP 2.0M

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: July 21, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $504 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: $249 vs $192 – 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 $1,660 per month in Tapachula and $1,527 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 29% 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 $1,018, than in Tapachula at $1,107. 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.