Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Torreon and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Torreon: $1,187 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Torreon
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,187
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,625
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Torreon and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Torreon and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,187 per month in Torreon vs $1,625 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Torreon $1,187
  • Medellin $1,625

A couple spends around $1,900 per month in Torreon vs $2,412 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Torreon $1,900
  • Medellin $2,412

A family of three spends $2,614 per month in Torreon vs $3,199 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Torreon $2,614
  • Medellin $3,199

Torreon is about 27% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Torreon sits 12% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Torreon
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.75 MX$199
$8.30 COP 26.3K
29.52%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$43.10 MX$797
$46.91 COP 148.7K
-8.12%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.02 MX$185
$9.24 COP 29.3K
8.44%
Cappuccino
$3.19 MX$59.0
$3.05 COP 9,676
4.59%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.73 MX$31.95
$1.80 COP 5,707
-3.89%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.24 MX$22.95
$1.38 COP 4,382
-10.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.13 MX$39.41
$3.24 COP 10.3K
-34.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.39 MX$81.2
$5.56 COP 17.6K
-21.04%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Torreon
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.74 MX$32.21
$1.50 COP 4,760
16.00%
White Bread (500g)
$3.08 MX$56.9
$2.37 COP 7,508
29.96%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.21 MX$40.83
$1.70 COP 5,377
30.00%
Eggs
$2.61 MX$48.22
$2.96 COP 9,379
-11.82%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.09 MX$186
$10.22 COP 32.4K
-1.27%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.57 MX$158
$9.74 COP 30.9K
-12.01%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.61 MX$214
$13.90 COP 44.1K
-16.47%
Apples (1kg)
$2.86 MX$52.9
$4.13 COP 13.1K
-30.75%
Banana (1kg)
$1.71 MX$31.61
$1.53 COP 4,839
11.76%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.20 MX$40.66
$2.22 COP 7,052
-0.90%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.51 MX$46.33
$2.27 COP 7,194
10.57%
Potato (1kg)
$2.32 MX$42.81
$1.99 COP 6,311
16.58%
Onion (1kg)
$2.15 MX$39.81
$1.67 COP 5,285
28.74%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.43 MX$26.51
$1.18 COP 3,742
21.19%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.29 MX$23.87
$1.24 COP 3,919
4.03%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.17 MX$77.0
$3.87 COP 12.3K
7.75%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.64 MX$197
$13.78 COP 43.7K
-22.79%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.11 MX$38.97
$1.66 COP 5,256
27.11%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.94 MX$72.8
$2.40 COP 7,615
64.17%
🚌 Getting Around
Torreon
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.78 MX$14.32
$1.24 COP 3,944
-37.10%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$32.30 MX$597
$78.2 COP 248.0K
-58.70%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.91 MX$35.36
$1.28 COP 4,044
49.22%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.89 MX$16.36
$2.15 COP 6,803
-58.60%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.06 MX$186
$8.37 COP 26.5K
20.19%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.43 MX$26.47
$1.35 COP 4,288
5.93%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$25.3K MX$467.4K
$34.8K COP 110.2M
-27.24%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.0K MX$499.8K
$34.7K COP 110.0M
-22.03%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Torreon
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$75.0 MX$1,387
$167 COP 528.4K
-54.97%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$40.21 MX$743
$13.62 COP 43.2K
195.23%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.38 MX$543
$29.12 COP 92.3K
0.89%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Torreon
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$64.5 MX$1,193
$45.09 COP 143.0K
43.14%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.54 MX$398
$17.18 COP 54.5K
25.38%
Cinema Ticket
$4.86 MX$89.9
$6.97 COP 22.1K
-30.27%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Torreon
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$289 MX$5,348
$790 COP 2.5M
-63.37%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,710 MX$50.1K
$9,041 COP 28.7M
-70.02%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Torreon
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$66.5 MX$1,229
$87.8 COP 278.4K
-24.23%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$48.47 MX$896
$58.2 COP 184.4K
-16.65%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$103 MX$1,898
$139 COP 440.7K
-26.10%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$96.8 MX$1,788
$98.9 COP 313.5K
-2.13%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Torreon
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$458 MX$8,471
$1,028 COP 3.3M
-55.42%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$305 MX$5,641
$620 COP 2.0M
-50.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$757 MX$14.0K
$1,881 COP 6.0M
-59.75%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$600 MX$11.1K
$1,008 COP 3.2M
-40.42%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,609 MX$29.7K
$3,988 COP 12.6M
-59.66%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,261 MX$23.3K
$1,702 COP 5.4M
-25.92%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Torreon
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$826 MX$15.3K
$663 COP 2.1M
24.58%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
12.87
10.94
17.64%

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

Last update for Torreon: October 19, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Torreon
$305
Medellin
$619 103% $314
Groceries & Markets
Torreon
$294
Medellin
$298 1.5% $4.3
Eating Out
Torreon
$186
Medellin
$171 8% $15
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Torreon
$145
Medellin
$209 44.8% $65
Clothing & Footwear
Torreon
$142
Medellin
$173 22.1% $31
Sport & Entertainment
Torreon
$74
Medellin
$59 20.5% $15
Getting Around
Torreon
$42
Medellin
$95 128% $53

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $458 in Torreon versus $1,028 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 25% higher in Torreon, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Torreon versus $47.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $294 vs $298 – making Torreon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Torreon
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
05:42 5:42 AM
06:42 6:42 AM
1 h ahead of Torreon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
690,193
2,486,723
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Torreon Medellin 3,650 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Torreon
  • Medellin

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Torreon vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Medellin cheaper than Torreon?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 37%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,780 per month in Torreon and $2,437 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Torreon, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Torreon or in Medellin?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Torreon and $47.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Torreon and in Medellin?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,187 in Torreon and $1,625 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 37%.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Torreon or in Medellin?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Torreon, where all-in costs run around $1,187, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Torreon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Torreon or Medellin more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Torreon – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Torreon. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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