Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zacatecas and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Zacatecas: $738 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

36

Cost of Living Index in Zacatecas
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Zacatecas Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Zacatecas

🇲🇽 Mexico

$738

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Zacatecas 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 Zacatecas and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $738 per month in Zacatecas vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

Zacatecas $738
Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $1,170 per month in Zacatecas vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

Zacatecas $1,170
Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $1,602 per month in Zacatecas vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

Zacatecas $1,602
Medellin $3,190

Zacatecas is about 54% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Zacatecas sits 45% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.12 MX$113

$7.93 COP 25.2K

-22.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.70 MX$586

$46.13 COP 146.3K

-31.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.50 MX$139

$9.50 COP 30.1K

-21.05%

Cappuccino

$2.96 MX$54.7

$3.11 COP 9,866

-4.82%

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

$1.21 MX$22.31

$1.83 COP 5,800

-33.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 MX$13.31

$1.38 COP 4,360

-47.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.86 MX$34.45

$3.05 COP 9,672

-39.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 MX$75.4

$5.50 COP 17.4K

-25.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 MX$25.41

$1.45 COP 4,600

-5.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 MX$40.91

$2.36 COP 7,496

-6.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 MX$28.52

$1.68 COP 5,328

-8.33%

Eggs

$2.29 MX$42.31

$2.86 COP 9,077

-19.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.32 MX$135

$10.19 COP 32.3K

-28.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.12 MX$113

$9.53 COP 30.2K

-35.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.25 MX$171

$14.04 COP 44.5K

-34.12%

Apples (1kg)

$1.75 MX$32.31

$4.07 COP 12.9K

-57.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 MX$30.63

$1.50 COP 4,742

10.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 MX$37.30

$2.17 COP 6,891

-6.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 MX$27.05

$2.31 COP 7,310

-36.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 MX$36.98

$1.93 COP 6,113

3.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.76 MX$32.50

$1.64 COP 5,196

7.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 MX$28.04

$1.13 COP 3,571

34.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 MX$15.60

$1.25 COP 3,954

-32.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 MX$79.4

$3.99 COP 12.6K

7.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.67 MX$197

$13.35 COP 42.3K

-20.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 MX$30.90

$1.70 COP 5,384

-1.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 MX$62.5

$2.37 COP 7,525

42.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MX$9.88

$1.21 COP 3,827

-56.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.52 MX$305

$76.5 COP 242.5K

-78.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.21 MX$40.77

$1.32 COP 4,179

67.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 MX$19.91

$2.14 COP 6,774

-49.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.28 MX$227

$8.47 COP 26.8K

44.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$26.79

$1.30 COP 4,114

11.54%

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

$21.1K MX$390.6K

$28.0K COP 88.7M

-24.49%

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

$24.5K MX$452.6K

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-30.84%

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

$23.16 MX$428

$172 COP 545.6K

-86.54%

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

$8.38 MX$155

$13.37 COP 42.4K

-37.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.17 MX$465

$28.73 COP 91.1K

-12.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.02 MX$462

$45.24 COP 143.5K

-44.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.17 MX$151

$17.04 COP 54.0K

-52.05%

Cinema Ticket

$4.39 MX$81.1

$6.28 COP 19.9K

-30.10%

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

$256 MX$4,736

$770 COP 2.4M

-66.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,234 MX$59.8K

$9,011 COP 28.6M

-64.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.26 MX$836

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-47.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.19 MX$743

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-29.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 MX$1,692

$137 COP 432.9K

-32.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$43.08 MX$796

$97.9 COP 310.4K

-56.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$242 MX$4,467

$1,055 COP 3.3M

-77.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$162 MX$2,994

$616 COP 2.0M

-73.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$383 MX$7,074

$1,892 COP 6.0M

-79.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$249 MX$4,606

$1,023 COP 3.2M

-75.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$571 MX$10.5K

$1,678 COP 5.3M

-65.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$407 MX$7,527

$652 COP 2.1M

-37.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.8

10.94

-1.28%

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

Last update for Zacatecas: October 10, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Zacatecas

$228 30.9%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 29.3% $67

Accommodation & Living

Zacatecas

$162 22%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 280% $454

Eating Out

Zacatecas

$132 17.9%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 27.4% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Zacatecas

$99 13.4%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 71.7% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zacatecas

$57 7.7%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 278% $157

Sport & Entertainment

Zacatecas

$34 4.6%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 71% $24

Getting Around

Zacatecas

$26 3.6%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 256% $67

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $242 in Zacatecas versus $1,055 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 60% higher in Medellin, 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 Zacatecas versus $46.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $228 vs $295 – making Zacatecas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Zacatecas

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

20:07 8:07 PM

21:07 9:07 PM

1 h ahead of Zacatecas

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

138,444

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Zacatecas Medellin 3,420 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Zacatecas
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

Zacatecas vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 119%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,107 per month in Zacatecas and $2,421 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zacatecas, 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 Zacatecas and $46.00 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 $738 in Zacatecas and $1,614 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 119%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Zacatecas, where all-in costs run around $738, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Zacatecas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zacatecas – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Zacatecas. 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.