Cost of Living Comparison Between Veracruz and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Veracruz and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,042 per month in Veracruz vs $1,013 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,658 per month in Veracruz vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,275 per month in Veracruz vs $2,192 in Medellin, rent included.

Veracruz costs about 3% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Veracruz and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – Veracruz 22% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.38 MX$162

$5.99 COP 21.4K

56.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.50 MX$649

$32.86 COP 117.4K

14.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.90 MX$119

$7.09 COP 25.3K

-2.68%

Cappuccino

$3.16 MX$54.7

$1.71 COP 6,115

84.80%

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

$1.24 MX$21.41

$1.10 COP 3,924

12.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 MX$14.15

$0.78 COP 2,781

5.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.99 MX$34.47

$1.68 COP 5,997

18.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 MX$59.3

$3.07 COP 11.0K

11.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 MX$25.82

$1.09 COP 3,906

36.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 MX$45.83

$1.26 COP 4,508

110.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 MX$27.49

$1.38 COP 4,922

15.22%

Eggs

$2.07 MX$35.75

$2.19 COP 7,827

-5.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.48 MX$94.7

$4.40 COP 15.7K

24.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.39 MX$111

$5.63 COP 20.1K

13.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.57 MX$166

$8.89 COP 31.8K

7.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.51 MX$43.38

$2.34 COP 8,349

7.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 MX$22.50

$1.06 COP 3,777

22.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.65 MX$28.51

$1.50 COP 5,374

10.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 MX$24.50

$1.38 COP 4,924

2.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.88 MX$32.50

$1.15 COP 4,111

63.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 MX$31.71

$1.16 COP 4,155

57.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 MX$18.85

$0.89 COP 3,182

22.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 MX$15.59

$0.84 COP 2,997

7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.12 MX$71.2

$2.28 COP 8,145

80.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.87 MX$153

$10.64 COP 38.0K

-16.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 MX$23.43

$1.20 COP 4,284

12.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 MX$48.51

$2.47 COP 8,824

13.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.52 MX$9.02

$0.86 COP 3,056

-39.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$28.46 MX$492

$41.40 COP 147.9K

-31.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.45 MX$42.34

$1.47 COP 5,264

66.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 MX$31.83

$1.96 COP 7,009

-6.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.79 MX$135

$7.74 COP 27.6K

0.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.60

$0.95 COP 3,409

37.89%

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

$18.3K MX$315.8K

$18.1K COP 64.7M

0.71%

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

$23.6K MX$408.4K

$26.5K COP 94.6M

-10.85%

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

$82.3 MX$1,424

$82.3 COP 293.7K

0.06%

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

$21.71 MX$376

$9.50 COP 33.9K

128.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.51 MX$441

$24.23 COP 86.5K

5.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.38 MX$526

$25.89 COP 92.4K

17.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.99 MX$173

$19.00 COP 67.9K

-47.42%

Cinema Ticket

$4.80 MX$83.1

$3.93 COP 14.0K

22.14%

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

$197 MX$3,414

$309 COP 1.1M

-36.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,603 MX$62.3K

$5,965 COP 21.3M

-39.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 MX$964

$58.7 COP 209.5K

-4.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.0 MX$1,037

$32.35 COP 115.5K

85.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 MX$1,904

$103 COP 366.4K

7.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.3 MX$1,302

$108 COP 387.2K

-30.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$356 MX$6,161

$476 COP 1.7M

-25.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$297 MX$5,140

$379 COP 1.4M

-21.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$604 MX$10.4K

$838 COP 3.0M

-27.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$641 MX$11.1K

$724 COP 2.6M

-11.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$713 MX$12.3K

$2,791 COP 10.0M

-74.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$582 MX$10.1K

$1,211 COP 4.3M

-51.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$848 MX$14.7K

$512 COP 1.8M

65.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.25

13.43

-16.23%

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

Last update for Veracruz: June 1, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $356 in Veracruz 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 66% higher in Veracruz, 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 $37.00 in Veracruz versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $222 vs $188 – 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

Veracruz vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Veracruz is pricier by about 3%, 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 $1,562 per month in Veracruz 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 $37.00 in Veracruz 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 $1,042 in Veracruz 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 Veracruz at $1,042. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Veracruz 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, Veracruz makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.