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 $1,276 per month in Zamora de Hidalgo vs $1,687 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,991 per month in Zamora de Hidalgo vs $2,535 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,705 per month in Zamora de Hidalgo vs $3,383 in Medellin, rent included.

Zamora de Hidalgo is about 24% cheaper than Medellin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Zamora de Hidalgo sits 7% below the global median, while Medellin is 23% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.96 MX$152

$7.89 COP 24.2K

13.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.19 MX$342

$44.53 COP 136.5K

-54.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.04 MX$153

$9.29 COP 28.5K

-2.69%

Cappuccino

$3.90 MX$66.2

$2.90 COP 8,874

34.48%

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

$1.71 MX$28.90

$1.81 COP 5,541

-5.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.08 MX$18.32

$1.55 COP 4,741

-30.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 MX$29.63

$3.25 COP 9,962

-46.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 MX$48.22

$5.88 COP 18.0K

-51.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 MX$33.27

$1.38 COP 4,230

42.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.84 MX$48.15

$2.45 COP 7,517

15.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.10 MX$35.51

$1.51 COP 4,617

39.07%

Eggs

$3.00 MX$50.9

$2.78 COP 8,516

7.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.61 MX$163

$9.05 COP 27.7K

6.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.61 MX$163

$10.65 COP 32.6K

-9.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.94 MX$253

$14.63 COP 44.8K

2.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.73 MX$63.2

$3.97 COP 12.2K

-6.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 MX$28.70

$1.38 COP 4,219

22.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.31 MX$39.12

$2.30 COP 7,056

0.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 MX$34.42

$2.02 COP 6,185

0.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 MX$34.62

$2.09 COP 6,390

-2.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.61

$1.63 COP 4,996

17.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 MX$26.89

$1.08 COP 3,313

47.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.30 MX$22.11

$1.25 COP 3,843

4.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.91 MX$83.3

$4.03 COP 12.4K

21.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.26 MX$326

$13.47 COP 41.3K

42.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 MX$40.39

$1.60 COP 4,904

48.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 MX$73.5

$3.00 COP 9,189

44.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 MX$11.13

$1.18 COP 3,611

-44.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.9 COP 244.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.62 MX$61.4

$1.61 COP 4,920

124.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.85 MX$48.36

$2.13 COP 6,533

33.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.71 MX$198

$8.52 COP 26.1K

37.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 MX$27.29

$1.35 COP 4,142

19.26%

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

$22.5K MX$381.7K

$28.3K COP 86.8M

-20.48%

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

$25.9K MX$438.7K

$35.7K COP 109.4M

-27.48%

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

$65.6 MX$1,112

$151 COP 463.8K

-56.67%

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

$28.60 MX$485

$13.10 COP 40.1K

118.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.43 MX$448

$32.30 COP 99.0K

-18.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.22 MX$682

$46.33 COP 141.9K

-13.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.64 MX$384

$17.26 COP 52.9K

31.17%

Cinema Ticket

$7.83 MX$133

$6.43 COP 19.7K

21.77%

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

$290 MX$4,918

$835 COP 2.6M

-65.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,334 MX$90.4K

$8,887 COP 27.2M

-39.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.8 MX$946

$89.3 COP 273.7K

-37.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.98 MX$813

$55.3 COP 169.5K

-13.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MX$1,833

$137 COP 418.5K

-20.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 MX$1,767

$109 COP 335.1K

-4.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$714 MX$12.1K

$952 COP 2.9M

-24.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$388 MX$6,572

$668 COP 2.0M

-41.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,216 MX$20.6K

$2,020 COP 6.2M

-39.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$745 MX$12.6K

$1,148 COP 3.5M

-35.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,820 MX$30.8K

$3,696 COP 11.3M

-50.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,364 MX$23.1K

$1,586 COP 4.9M

-13.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$625 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.99

10.43

14.96%

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

Last update for Zamora de Hidalgo: August 18, 2026

Last update for Medellin: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $714 in Zamora de Hidalgo versus $952 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 $20.00 in Zamora de Hidalgo versus $45.00 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $329 in Zamora de Hidalgo vs $297 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 – Medellin is pricier by about 32%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,915 per month in Zamora de Hidalgo and $2,530 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zamora de Hidalgo, 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 $20.00 in Zamora de Hidalgo and $45.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 11% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Zamora de Hidalgo, where all-in costs run around $1,276, than in Medellin at $1,687. In Zamora de Hidalgo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zamora de Hidalgo – 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 Zamora de Hidalgo. 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.