Cost of Living Comparison Between Zamora de Hidalgo and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Zamora de Hidalgo and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,156 per month in Zamora de Hidalgo vs $1,028 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,760 per month in Zamora de Hidalgo vs $1,586 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,365 per month in Zamora de Hidalgo vs $2,144 in Medellin, rent included.

Zamora de Hidalgo costs about 12% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Zamora de Hidalgo and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – Zamora de Hidalgo 13% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.15 MX$140

$6.00 COP 20.6K

35.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.44 MX$317

$32.84 COP 112.5K

-43.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.90 MX$136

$7.42 COP 25.4K

6.47%

Cappuccino

$3.65 MX$62.8

$1.65 COP 5,659

121.21%

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

$1.26 MX$21.66

$1.07 COP 3,663

17.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 MX$16.05

$0.76 COP 2,607

22.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.63 MX$28.09

$1.72 COP 5,908

-5.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 MX$45.14

$3.20 COP 11.0K

-18.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$26.55

$1.05 COP 3,597

46.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.55 MX$43.92

$1.31 COP 4,479

94.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.93 MX$33.17

$1.34 COP 4,591

44.03%

Eggs

$2.37 MX$40.85

$2.19 COP 7,521

8.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.52 MX$147

$4.41 COP 15.1K

93.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.72 MX$167

$5.69 COP 19.5K

70.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.24 MX$228

$8.52 COP 29.2K

55.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 MX$61.5

$2.34 COP 8,023

52.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 MX$25.43

$1.11 COP 3,804

33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MX$32.78

$1.52 COP 5,210

25.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 MX$30.91

$1.37 COP 4,680

31.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 MX$30.99

$1.15 COP 3,950

56.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 MX$31.26

$1.18 COP 4,043

54.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 MX$22.27

$0.84 COP 2,885

53.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 MX$19.14

$0.86 COP 2,931

29.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.39 MX$75.5

$2.26 COP 7,753

94.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.65 MX$304

$11.60 COP 39.8K

52.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 MX$33.23

$1.20 COP 4,109

60.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 MX$54.7

$2.48 COP 8,484

28.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.65 MX$11.24

$0.79 COP 2,721

-17.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 139.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 MX$53.3

$1.47 COP 5,023

110.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 MX$21.38

$1.92 COP 6,568

-35.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.06 MX$156

$7.77 COP 26.6K

16.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 MX$22.24

$1.01 COP 3,464

27.72%

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

$19.6K MX$336.9K

$17.7K COP 60.5M

10.87%

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

$20.5K MX$353.6K

$26.5K COP 90.7M

-22.33%

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

$62.4 MX$1,074

$81.1 COP 277.9K

-23.02%

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

$23.51 MX$405

$9.43 COP 32.3K

149.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.27 MX$486

$23.86 COP 81.8K

18.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.06 MX$621

$25.99 COP 89.1K

38.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.77 MX$271

$18.71 COP 64.1K

-15.71%

Cinema Ticket

$5.99 MX$103

$4.09 COP 14.0K

46.45%

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

$312 MX$5,370

$315 COP 1.1M

-0.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,841 MX$83.3K

$6,022 COP 20.6M

-19.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.0 MX$877

$59.7 COP 204.6K

-14.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.87 MX$738

$31.97 COP 109.6K

34.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 MX$1,724

$101 COP 346.9K

-1.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.0 MX$1,668

$105 COP 360.3K

-7.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$516 MX$8,883

$485 COP 1.7M

6.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$403 MX$6,930

$365 COP 1.3M

10.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$930 MX$16.0K

$827 COP 2.8M

12.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$768 MX$13.2K

$730 COP 2.5M

5.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,805 MX$31.1K

$2,992 COP 10.3M

-39.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,435 MX$24.7K

$1,314 COP 4.5M

9.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$551 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.55

13.43

-14.00%

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

Last update for Zamora de Hidalgo: June 13, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $516 in Zamora de Hidalgo versus $485 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $18.00 in Zamora de Hidalgo versus $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $294 in Zamora de Hidalgo vs $190 in Medellin – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Zamora de Hidalgo vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Zamora de Hidalgo is pricier by about 12%, 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 $1,734 per month in Zamora de Hidalgo and $1,542 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 $18.00 in Zamora de Hidalgo 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 55% more in Zamora de Hidalgo, 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 $1,028, than in Zamora de Hidalgo at $1,156. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Zamora de Hidalgo 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, Zamora de Hidalgo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.