Cost of Living Comparison Between Toluca and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Toluca and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,144 per month in Toluca vs $1,034 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,843 per month in Toluca vs $1,577 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,542 per month in Toluca vs $2,120 in Medellin, rent included.

Toluca costs about 11% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Toluca and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – Toluca 15% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.19 MX$160

$5.92 COP 21.5K

55.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.11 MX$733

$32.75 COP 119.1K

28.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.02 MX$140

$7.20 COP 26.2K

11.39%

Cappuccino

$2.88 MX$50.2

$1.70 COP 6,186

69.41%

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

$1.15 MX$20.04

$1.10 COP 3,996

4.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.80 MX$13.94

$0.72 COP 2,625

11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.07 MX$36.02

$1.67 COP 6,067

23.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 MX$58.3

$3.10 COP 11.3K

8.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 MX$24.73

$1.06 COP 3,837

33.96%

White Bread (500g)

$3.23 MX$56.2

$1.25 COP 4,531

158.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 MX$32.14

$1.39 COP 5,060

33.09%

Eggs

$2.51 MX$43.74

$2.26 COP 8,229

11.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.74 MX$99.9

$4.33 COP 15.8K

32.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.06 MX$175

$5.84 COP 21.2K

72.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.68 MX$203

$8.83 COP 32.1K

32.28%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 MX$72.1

$2.24 COP 8,159

84.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 MX$29.80

$1.08 COP 3,911

58.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 MX$34.83

$1.53 COP 5,563

30.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.51

$1.37 COP 4,987

57.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 MX$42.24

$1.13 COP 4,109

115.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 MX$41.69

$1.12 COP 4,067

114.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.85 MX$32.28

$0.85 COP 3,080

117.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 MX$17.90

$0.91 COP 3,305

13.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.86 MX$84.6

$2.33 COP 8,477

108.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.45 MX$234

$11.13 COP 40.5K

20.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 MX$34.21

$1.19 COP 4,342

65.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 MX$56.6

$2.37 COP 8,617

37.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 MX$11.28

$0.79 COP 2,859

-17.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 149.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.14 MX$54.6

$1.44 COP 5,223

118.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.28 MX$39.67

$1.91 COP 6,952

19.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.00 MX$139

$8.02 COP 29.2K

-0.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$22.34

$0.94 COP 3,410

36.17%

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

$27.9K MX$485.7K

$17.9K COP 65.2M

55.75%

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

$28.0K MX$487.7K

$26.8K COP 97.4M

4.62%

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

$47.27 MX$823

$84.0 COP 305.4K

-43.70%

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

$21.11 MX$367

$9.60 COP 34.9K

119.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.16 MX$612

$24.16 COP 87.9K

45.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 MX$906

$25.88 COP 94.1K

101.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.23 MX$387

$19.04 COP 69.3K

16.75%

Cinema Ticket

$6.89 MX$120

$3.92 COP 14.2K

75.77%

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

$170 MX$2,956

$306 COP 1.1M

-44.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,077 MX$88.3K

$5,919 COP 21.5M

-14.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.1 MX$959

$57.9 COP 210.6K

-4.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.8 MX$1,075

$31.82 COP 115.7K

94.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.9 MX$1,685

$99.9 COP 363.3K

-3.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 MX$1,785

$107 COP 389.7K

-4.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$662 MX$11.5K

$487 COP 1.8M

36.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$381 MX$6,631

$368 COP 1.3M

3.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$948 MX$16.5K

$826 COP 3.0M

14.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$743 MX$12.9K

$716 COP 2.6M

3.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,388 MX$24.2K

$2,925 COP 10.6M

-52.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$958 MX$16.7K

$1,407 COP 5.1M

-31.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,367 MX$23.8K

$546 COP 2.0M

150.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.12

13.43

-17.20%

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

Last update for Toluca: April 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $662 in Toluca versus $487 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 151% higher in Toluca, 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 $42.00 in Toluca versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $291 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

Toluca vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Toluca is pricier by about 11%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,716 per month in Toluca and $1,550 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 $42.00 in Toluca 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 53% more in Toluca, 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 $1,034, than in Toluca at $1,144. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Toluca 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, Toluca makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.