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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,247 per month in Tijuana vs $1,031 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,953 per month in Tijuana vs $1,599 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,660 per month in Tijuana vs $2,167 in Medellin, rent included.

Tijuana costs about 21% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Tijuana and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – Tijuana 7% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.22 MX$214

$6.16 COP 20.1K

98.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.13 MX$564

$32.60 COP 106.1K

-1.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.74 MX$136

$7.34 COP 23.9K

5.45%

Cappuccino

$3.95 MX$69.3

$1.72 COP 5,600

129.65%

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

$1.11 MX$19.41

$1.05 COP 3,420

5.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 MX$15.80

$0.77 COP 2,515

16.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.83 MX$49.62

$1.69 COP 5,488

67.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.97 MX$87.2

$3.17 COP 10.3K

56.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 MX$28.70

$1.05 COP 3,423

56.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.50 MX$43.85

$1.30 COP 4,236

92.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.73 MX$30.30

$1.40 COP 4,544

23.57%

Eggs

$3.11 MX$54.5

$2.16 COP 7,047

43.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.30 MX$128

$4.39 COP 14.3K

66.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.83 MX$102

$5.88 COP 19.1K

-0.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.36 MX$182

$8.64 COP 28.1K

19.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.66 MX$46.70

$2.28 COP 7,426

16.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 MX$27.42

$1.11 COP 3,604

40.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 MX$32.35

$1.53 COP 4,983

20.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.58 MX$27.67

$1.35 COP 4,410

17.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 MX$28.72

$1.13 COP 3,674

45.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 MX$31.32

$1.13 COP 3,692

58.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 MX$18.44

$0.85 COP 2,753

23.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 MX$17.24

$0.91 COP 2,975

7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.22 MX$73.9

$2.34 COP 7,630

80.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.31 MX$146

$12.37 COP 40.3K

-32.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 MX$32.59

$1.20 COP 3,909

55.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 MX$58.3

$2.49 COP 8,104

33.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 MX$17.18

$0.84 COP 2,728

16.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$18.65 MX$327

$40.57 COP 132.1K

-54.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.79 MX$48.94

$1.42 COP 4,623

96.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.92 MX$51.2

$1.92 COP 6,235

52.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 MX$56.7

$7.66 COP 24.9K

-57.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.93

$0.99 COP 3,223

32.32%

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

$23.2K MX$406.2K

$18.0K COP 58.7M

28.46%

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

$20.3K MX$355.8K

$26.6K COP 86.7M

-23.81%

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

$57.6 MX$1,011

$80.8 COP 263.1K

-28.68%

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

$27.63 MX$485

$9.95 COP 32.4K

177.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 MX$539

$24.18 COP 78.7K

27.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.94 MX$665

$25.08 COP 81.7K

51.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.47 MX$342

$19.15 COP 62.3K

1.67%

Cinema Ticket

$4.44 MX$77.9

$3.98 COP 13.0K

11.56%

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

$209 MX$3,671

$305 COP 993.5K

-31.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,720 MX$47.7K

$6,059 COP 19.7M

-55.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$42.44 MX$744

$58.1 COP 189.2K

-26.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.48 MX$605

$32.20 COP 104.8K

7.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.7 MX$1,521

$101 COP 327.9K

-13.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.3 MX$1,199

$108 COP 350.8K

-36.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$786 MX$13.8K

$477 COP 1.6M

64.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$512 MX$8,978

$376 COP 1.2M

36.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,560 MX$27.4K

$845 COP 2.7M

84.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$987 MX$17.3K

$730 COP 2.4M

35.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,251 MX$57.0K

$3,215 COP 10.5M

1.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,900 MX$50.9K

$1,372 COP 4.5M

111.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$961 MX$16.9K

$617 COP 2.0M

55.76%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $786 in Tijuana versus $477 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 56% 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 – $238 in Tijuana vs $193 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 21%, 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 $1,870 per month in Tijuana and $1,546 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 $1,247 in Tijuana and $1,031 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 $1,031, than in Tijuana at $1,247. 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.