Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zapopan and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Zapopan: $1,509 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $1,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

73

Cost of Living Index in Zapopan
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Zapopan Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Zapopan

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,509

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,509 per month in Zapopan vs $1,625 in Medellin, rent included.

Zapopan $1,509
Medellin $1,625

A couple spends around $2,182 per month in Zapopan vs $2,412 in Medellin, rent included.

Zapopan $2,182
Medellin $2,412

A family of three spends $2,856 per month in Zapopan vs $3,199 in Medellin, rent included.

Zapopan $2,856
Medellin $3,199

Zapopan is about 7% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Zapopan and Medellin sit above the global median – Zapopan by 11%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.79 MX$199

$8.30 COP 26.3K

30.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.37 MX$598

$46.91 COP 148.7K

-31.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.03 MX$204

$9.24 COP 29.3K

19.37%

Cappuccino

$3.63 MX$67.2

$3.05 COP 9,676

19.02%

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

$1.16 MX$21.42

$1.80 COP 5,707

-35.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.12 MX$20.67

$1.38 COP 4,382

-18.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.20 MX$40.62

$3.24 COP 10.3K

-32.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 MX$81.1

$5.56 COP 17.6K

-21.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.48 MX$27.28

$1.50 COP 4,760

-1.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.63 MX$48.56

$2.37 COP 7,508

10.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.16 MX$21.35

$1.70 COP 5,377

-31.76%

Eggs

$2.83 MX$52.3

$2.96 COP 9,379

-4.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.28 MX$153

$10.22 COP 32.4K

-18.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.90 MX$183

$9.74 COP 30.9K

1.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.72 MX$180

$13.90 COP 44.1K

-30.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 MX$53.7

$4.13 COP 13.1K

-29.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 MX$25.41

$1.53 COP 4,839

-10.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.77 MX$32.64

$2.22 COP 7,052

-20.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.16 MX$39.85

$2.27 COP 7,194

-4.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 MX$41.36

$1.99 COP 6,311

12.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.48 MX$45.84

$1.67 COP 5,285

48.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 MX$34.38

$1.18 COP 3,742

57.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 MX$21.57

$1.24 COP 3,919

-5.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.54 MX$102

$3.87 COP 12.3K

43.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.53 MX$121

$13.78 COP 43.7K

-52.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 MX$32.89

$1.66 COP 5,256

7.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 MX$52.7

$2.40 COP 7,615

18.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$10.02

$1.24 COP 3,944

-56.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.91 MX$608

$78.2 COP 248.0K

-57.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.47 MX$45.58

$1.28 COP 4,044

92.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.40 MX$44.30

$2.15 COP 6,803

11.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.32 MX$172

$8.37 COP 26.5K

11.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 MX$27.55

$1.35 COP 4,288

10.37%

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

$24.4K MX$450.2K

$34.8K COP 110.2M

-29.91%

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

$24.0K MX$443.3K

$34.7K COP 110.0M

-30.83%

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

$123 MX$2,275

$167 COP 528.4K

-26.13%

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

$24.57 MX$454

$13.62 COP 43.2K

80.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.39 MX$543

$29.12 COP 92.3K

0.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.59 MX$805

$45.09 COP 143.0K

-3.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.55 MX$250

$17.18 COP 54.5K

-21.13%

Cinema Ticket

$5.56 MX$103

$6.97 COP 22.1K

-20.23%

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

$166 MX$3,061

$790 COP 2.5M

-79.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,914 MX$127.8K

$9,041 COP 28.7M

-23.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.52 MX$841

$87.8 COP 278.4K

-48.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.36 MX$469

$58.2 COP 184.4K

-56.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.6 MX$1,359

$139 COP 440.7K

-47.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 MX$2,170

$98.9 COP 313.5K

18.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 MX$18.2K

$1,028 COP 3.3M

-4.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$656 MX$12.1K

$620 COP 2.0M

5.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,671 MX$30.9K

$1,881 COP 6.0M

-11.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 MX$18.7K

$1,008 COP 3.2M

0.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,703 MX$105.4K

$3,988 COP 12.6M

43.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,501 MX$27.7K

$1,702 COP 5.4M

-11.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$979 MX$18.1K

$663 COP 2.1M

47.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

10.94

3.29%

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

Last update for Zapopan: October 19, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Zapopan

$656 43.5%

Medellin

$619 38.1% 5.5% $36

Groceries & Markets

Zapopan

$262 17.4%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 13.8% $36

Eating Out

Zapopan

$192 12.7%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 11% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zapopan

$177 11.7%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 18.3% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Zapopan

$118 7.8%

Medellin

$173 10.6% 46.6% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Zapopan

$55 3.6%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 7.9% $4.3

Getting Around

Zapopan

$50 3.3%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 92.2% $46

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $985 in Zapopan versus $1,028 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 48% higher in Zapopan, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $32.00 in Zapopan versus $47.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $262 vs $298 – making Zapopan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Zapopan

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

01:37 1:37 AM

02:37 2:37 AM

1 h ahead of Zapopan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,257,547

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 22, 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 22, 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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Between locations

Zapopan Medellin 3,400 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Zapopan
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

Zapopan vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 8%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,263 per month in Zapopan and $2,437 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zapopan, 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 Zapopan and $47.00 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 $1,509 in Zapopan and $1,625 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 8%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Zapopan, where all-in costs run around $1,509, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Zapopan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Zapopan – 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 Zapopan. 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.