Cost of Living Comparison Between Tulum and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Tulum and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,061 per month in Tulum vs $1,017 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,905 per month in Tulum vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,748 per month in Tulum vs $2,188 in Medellin, rent included.

Tulum costs about 4% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Tulum and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – Tulum 21% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.76 MX$185

$5.95 COP 20.8K

80.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.52 MX$850

$33.33 COP 116.3K

48.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.89 MX$135

$7.23 COP 25.2K

9.13%

Cappuccino

$3.70 MX$63.5

$1.63 COP 5,687

126.99%

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

$1.21 MX$20.72

$1.09 COP 3,821

11.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 MX$18.26

$0.73 COP 2,548

45.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.80 MX$48.04

$1.74 COP 6,065

60.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 MX$69.4

$3.23 COP 11.3K

25.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$24.91

$1.05 COP 3,662

38.10%

White Bread (500g)

$1.15 MX$19.66

$1.29 COP 4,515

-10.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.66

$1.32 COP 4,617

12.88%

Eggs

$1.93 MX$33.20

$2.27 COP 7,927

-14.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.36 MX$92.1

$4.35 COP 15.2K

23.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.12 MX$122

$5.88 COP 20.5K

21.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.19 MX$106

$8.61 COP 30.0K

-28.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.06 MX$35.35

$2.25 COP 7,844

-8.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.36 MX$23.39

$1.07 COP 3,733

27.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.42 MX$24.35

$1.52 COP 5,322

-6.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 MX$24.10

$1.42 COP 4,964

-1.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 MX$37.27

$1.17 COP 4,084

85.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.89 MX$32.51

$1.17 COP 4,077

61.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.07 MX$18.42

$0.89 COP 3,096

20.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 MX$15.80

$0.90 COP 3,146

2.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$70.3

$2.25 COP 7,837

82.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.48 MX$146

$11.04 COP 38.5K

-23.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$23.23

$1.14 COP 3,977

18.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 MX$21.41

$2.38 COP 8,301

-47.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 MX$20.14

$0.84 COP 2,916

39.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.16 MX$37.08

$1.41 COP 4,912

53.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 MX$38.10

$1.90 COP 6,634

16.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.35 MX$91.8

$7.75 COP 27.0K

-30.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 MX$22.58

$1.01 COP 3,509

30.69%

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

$16.0K MX$273.8K

$17.6K COP 61.4M

-9.25%

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

$21.3K MX$365.8K

$26.5K COP 92.5M

-19.57%

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

$83.7 MX$1,436

$83.7 COP 292.1K

-0.01%

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

$22.27 MX$382

$9.45 COP 33.0K

135.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.53 MX$507

$24.11 COP 84.1K

22.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.48 MX$557

$25.31 COP 88.3K

28.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.06 MX$276

$19.14 COP 66.8K

-16.09%

Cinema Ticket

$4.74 MX$81.4

$4.10 COP 14.3K

15.61%

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

$203 MX$3,479

$312 COP 1.1M

-35.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,841 MX$48.8K

$5,993 COP 20.9M

-52.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.93 MX$462

$58.0 COP 202.6K

-53.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.06 MX$550

$32.56 COP 113.6K

-1.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.6 MX$1,383

$99.6 COP 347.7K

-19.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$45.12 MX$774

$109 COP 378.8K

-58.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$712 MX$12.2K

$482 COP 1.7M

47.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$391 MX$6,713

$379 COP 1.3M

3.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,442 MX$24.8K

$837 COP 2.9M

72.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,216 MX$20.9K

$723 COP 2.5M

68.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,272 MX$56.2K

$2,840 COP 9.9M

15.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,899 MX$32.6K

$1,223 COP 4.3M

55.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$783 MX$13.4K

$541 COP 1.9M

44.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

-18.09%

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

Last update for Tulum: June 9, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $712 in Tulum versus $482 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 45% higher in Tulum, 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 $50.0 in Tulum versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $193 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

Tulum vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Tulum is pricier by about 4%, 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 $1,592 per month in Tulum and $1,525 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 $50.0 in Tulum 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 2% more in Tulum, 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 $1,017, than in Tulum at $1,061. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Tulum 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, Tulum makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.