Cost of Living Comparison Between Tijuana and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Tijuana and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,249 per month in Tijuana vs $1,013 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,983 per month in Tijuana vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,716 per month in Tijuana vs $2,192 in Medellin, rent included.

Tijuana costs about 23% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Tijuana and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – Tijuana 7% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.24 MX$212

$5.99 COP 21.4K

104.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.89 MX$552

$32.86 COP 117.4K

-2.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.09 MX$140

$7.09 COP 25.3K

14.10%

Cappuccino

$3.78 MX$65.4

$1.71 COP 6,115

121.05%

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

$1.16 MX$20.01

$1.10 COP 3,924

5.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.48

$0.78 COP 2,781

21.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.90 MX$50.1

$1.68 COP 5,997

72.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.06 MX$87.6

$3.07 COP 11.0K

64.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 MX$27.08

$1.09 COP 3,906

44.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 MX$42.41

$1.26 COP 4,508

94.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 MX$31.61

$1.38 COP 4,922

32.61%

Eggs

$3.12 MX$54.0

$2.19 COP 7,827

42.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 MX$133

$4.40 COP 15.7K

75.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.89 MX$102

$5.63 COP 20.1K

4.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.24 MX$177

$8.89 COP 31.8K

15.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 MX$44.92

$2.34 COP 8,349

11.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 MX$26.73

$1.06 COP 3,777

46.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.83 MX$31.63

$1.50 COP 5,374

22.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 MX$27.43

$1.38 COP 4,924

15.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 MX$29.10

$1.15 COP 4,111

46.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 MX$30.82

$1.16 COP 4,155

53.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.42

$0.89 COP 3,182

19.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 MX$17.06

$0.84 COP 2,997

17.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.21 MX$72.8

$2.28 COP 8,145

84.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.57 MX$148

$10.64 COP 38.0K

-19.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 MX$33.28

$1.20 COP 4,284

60.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 MX$56.1

$2.47 COP 8,824

31.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.96 MX$16.69

$0.86 COP 3,056

11.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.90 MX$327

$41.40 COP 147.9K

-54.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.75 MX$47.55

$1.47 COP 5,264

87.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.00 MX$51.9

$1.96 COP 7,009

53.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.11 MX$53.7

$7.74 COP 27.6K

-59.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.73

$0.95 COP 3,409

37.89%

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

$23.4K MX$405.0K

$18.1K COP 64.7M

29.13%

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

$20.8K MX$360.0K

$26.5K COP 94.6M

-21.43%

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

$55.9 MX$967

$82.3 COP 293.7K

-32.05%

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

$27.47 MX$475

$9.50 COP 33.9K

189.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.44 MX$544

$24.23 COP 86.5K

29.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.65 MX$651

$25.89 COP 92.4K

45.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.08 MX$347

$19.00 COP 67.9K

5.68%

Cinema Ticket

$4.60 MX$79.5

$3.93 COP 14.0K

17.05%

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

$204 MX$3,528

$309 COP 1.1M

-34.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,729 MX$47.2K

$5,965 COP 21.3M

-54.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.70 MX$756

$58.7 COP 209.5K

-25.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.19 MX$609

$32.35 COP 115.5K

8.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.9 MX$1,521

$103 COP 366.4K

-14.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.3 MX$1,198

$108 COP 387.2K

-36.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 MX$13.6K

$476 COP 1.7M

65.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$503 MX$8,705

$379 COP 1.4M

32.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,525 MX$26.4K

$838 COP 3.0M

81.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$966 MX$16.7K

$724 COP 2.6M

33.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,295 MX$57.0K

$2,791 COP 10.0M

18.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,914 MX$50.4K

$1,211 COP 4.3M

140.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$938 MX$16.2K

$512 COP 1.8M

83.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.8

13.43

-12.14%

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

Last update for Tijuana: May 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Tijuana 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 83% higher in Tijuana, 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 $32.00 in Tijuana versus $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $239 in Tijuana vs $188 in Medellin – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Tijuana vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tijuana is pricier by about 23%, 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 $1,874 per month in Tijuana 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 $32.00 in Tijuana 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 $1,249 in Tijuana 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 Tijuana at $1,249. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tijuana 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, Tijuana makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.