Cost of Living Comparison Between Zihuatanejo and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Zihuatanejo and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,118 per month in Zihuatanejo vs $1,017 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,776 per month in Zihuatanejo vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,434 per month in Zihuatanejo vs $2,188 in Medellin, rent included.

Zihuatanejo costs about 10% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Zihuatanejo and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – Zihuatanejo 17% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.74 MX$184

$5.95 COP 20.8K

80.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.36 MX$658

$33.33 COP 116.3K

15.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.97 MX$137

$7.23 COP 25.2K

10.24%

Cappuccino

$3.32 MX$56.9

$1.63 COP 5,687

103.68%

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

$1.27 MX$21.81

$1.09 COP 3,821

16.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 MX$16.75

$0.73 COP 2,548

34.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.33 MX$39.98

$1.74 COP 6,065

33.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 MX$65.5

$3.23 COP 11.3K

18.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 MX$24.83

$1.05 COP 3,662

38.10%

White Bread (500g)

$3.52 MX$60.4

$1.29 COP 4,515

172.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.02

$1.32 COP 4,617

23.48%

Eggs

$4.23 MX$72.7

$2.27 COP 7,927

86.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.84 MX$135

$4.35 COP 15.2K

80.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 MX$133

$5.88 COP 20.5K

32.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.37 MX$178

$8.61 COP 30.0K

20.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 MX$46.43

$2.25 COP 7,844

20.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 MX$23.67

$1.07 COP 3,733

28.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 MX$30.26

$1.52 COP 5,322

15.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 MX$27.50

$1.42 COP 4,964

12.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 MX$32.78

$1.17 COP 4,084

63.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 MX$34.74

$1.17 COP 4,077

72.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 MX$20.50

$0.89 COP 3,096

33.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 MX$17.65

$0.90 COP 3,146

14.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.13 MX$70.9

$2.25 COP 7,837

83.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.42 MX$162

$11.04 COP 38.5K

-14.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$27.30

$1.14 COP 3,977

39.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 MX$47.60

$2.38 COP 8,301

16.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.29

$0.84 COP 2,916

-28.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.56 MX$44.00

$1.41 COP 4,912

81.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 MX$26.70

$1.90 COP 6,634

-17.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.15 MX$140

$7.75 COP 27.0K

5.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.48

$1.01 COP 3,509

29.70%

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

$21.0K MX$361.1K

$17.6K COP 61.4M

19.66%

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

$22.8K MX$390.7K

$26.5K COP 92.5M

-14.08%

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

$56.7 MX$973

$83.7 COP 292.1K

-32.22%

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

$10.17 MX$175

$9.45 COP 33.0K

7.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.79 MX$477

$24.11 COP 84.1K

15.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.43 MX$625

$25.31 COP 88.3K

43.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.13 MX$277

$19.14 COP 66.8K

-15.73%

Cinema Ticket

$4.62 MX$79.3

$4.10 COP 14.3K

12.68%

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

$206 MX$3,530

$312 COP 1.1M

-34.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,561 MX$61.1K

$5,993 COP 20.9M

-40.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 MX$914

$58.0 COP 202.6K

-8.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.39 MX$693

$32.56 COP 113.6K

24.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.2 MX$1,531

$99.6 COP 347.7K

-10.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.1 MX$1,374

$109 COP 378.8K

-26.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$505 MX$8,669

$482 COP 1.7M

4.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$392 MX$6,725

$379 COP 1.3M

3.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$945 MX$16.2K

$837 COP 2.9M

12.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$763 MX$13.1K

$723 COP 2.5M

5.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,994 MX$34.2K

$2,840 COP 9.9M

-29.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,290 MX$22.1K

$1,223 COP 4.3M

5.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.48

13.43

-14.52%

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

Last update for Zihuatanejo: June 8, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $505 in Zihuatanejo versus $482 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 $38.00 in Zihuatanejo versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $263 vs $190 – 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

Zihuatanejo vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Zihuatanejo is pricier by about 10%, 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 $1,678 per month in Zihuatanejo and $1,525 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 $38.00 in Zihuatanejo 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 38% more in Zihuatanejo, 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 $1,017, than in Zihuatanejo at $1,118. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Zihuatanejo 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.

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 Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Zihuatanejo makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.