Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zihuatanejo and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Zihuatanejo: $1,153 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Zihuatanejo
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Zihuatanejo Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Zihuatanejo

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,153

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,153 per month in Zihuatanejo vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Zihuatanejo $1,153
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $1,872 per month in Zihuatanejo vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Zihuatanejo $1,872
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $2,591 per month in Zihuatanejo vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Zihuatanejo $2,591
Medellin $3,186

Zihuatanejo is about 30% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Zihuatanejo sits 15% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.79 MX$183

$8.09 COP 26.1K

21.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.74 MX$913

$47.05 COP 151.9K

3.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.45 MX$177

$9.50 COP 30.7K

-0.53%

Cappuccino

$3.02 MX$56.6

$3.01 COP 9,734

0.33%

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

$1.21 MX$22.62

$1.80 COP 5,809

-32.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$17.75

$1.41 COP 4,560

-32.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.08 MX$38.92

$3.18 COP 10.3K

-34.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.58 MX$85.9

$5.75 COP 18.6K

-20.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 MX$29.99

$1.51 COP 4,875

5.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.54 MX$47.52

$2.38 COP 7,677

6.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 MX$32.76

$1.77 COP 5,719

-1.13%

Eggs

$2.38 MX$44.68

$2.89 COP 9,332

-17.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.10 MX$133

$10.19 COP 32.9K

-30.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.52 MX$160

$9.87 COP 31.9K

-13.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.88 MX$185

$13.99 COP 45.2K

-29.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.51 MX$47.07

$3.97 COP 12.8K

-36.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 MX$29.18

$1.55 COP 5,011

0.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.91 MX$35.81

$2.18 COP 7,047

-12.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.81 MX$33.95

$2.18 COP 7,050

-16.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 MX$41.96

$1.96 COP 6,336

14.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 MX$38.26

$1.59 COP 5,131

28.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 MX$28.35

$1.15 COP 3,698

31.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$21.71

$1.24 COP 4,014

-6.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.62 MX$86.6

$3.96 COP 12.8K

16.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.56 MX$217

$13.68 COP 44.2K

-15.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 MX$32.55

$1.66 COP 5,359

4.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 MX$53.7

$2.26 COP 7,290

26.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 MX$11.59

$1.17 COP 3,770

-47.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.26 MX$492

$77.4 COP 249.8K

-66.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 MX$49.86

$1.27 COP 4,094

109.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.99 MX$37.27

$2.05 COP 6,611

-2.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.03 MX$207

$8.55 COP 27.6K

29.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 MX$23.01

$1.35 COP 4,348

-8.89%

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

$26.7K MX$500.2K

$34.1K COP 110.0M

-21.64%

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

$25.3K MX$475.0K

$34.7K COP 111.9M

-26.90%

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

$57.6 MX$1,080

$170 COP 547.7K

-66.04%

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

$22.77 MX$427

$13.55 COP 43.7K

68.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.67 MX$556

$28.07 COP 90.6K

5.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.62 MX$555

$43.70 COP 141.1K

-32.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.49 MX$346

$17.19 COP 55.5K

7.56%

Cinema Ticket

$4.44 MX$83.2

$6.91 COP 22.3K

-35.75%

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

$219 MX$4,102

$797 COP 2.6M

-72.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,937 MX$92.5K

$9,112 COP 29.4M

-45.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.5 MX$1,153

$84.7 COP 273.5K

-27.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.23 MX$660

$58.0 COP 187.1K

-39.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 MX$2,099

$135 COP 435.7K

-16.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.5 MX$1,414

$97.9 COP 316.0K

-22.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$670 MX$12.6K

$1,208 COP 3.9M

-44.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$406 MX$7,603

$642 COP 2.1M

-36.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 MX$19.0K

$2,028 COP 6.5M

-49.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$818 MX$15.3K

$1,012 COP 3.3M

-19.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,796 MX$33.7K

$4,170 COP 13.5M

-56.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,244 MX$23.3K

$1,910 COP 6.2M

-34.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.31

10.94

3.38%

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

Last update for Zihuatanejo: October 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Zihuatanejo

$406 35.2%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 58.1% $236

Groceries & Markets

Zihuatanejo

$258 22.4%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 15% $39

Eating Out

Zihuatanejo

$171 14.8%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 0.9% $1.5

Clothing & Footwear

Zihuatanejo

$128 11.1%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 32.1% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zihuatanejo

$110 9.6%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 92% $101

Getting Around

Zihuatanejo

$41 3.6%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 126% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Zihuatanejo

$39 3.3%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 49.4% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $670 in Zihuatanejo versus $1,208 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 $49 in Zihuatanejo versus $47 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $258 in Zihuatanejo vs $297 in Medellin – so Zihuatanejo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Zihuatanejo

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

22:26 10:26 PM

23:26 11:26 PM

1 h ahead of Zihuatanejo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

67,408

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.34 USD

100 MXN = 4.76 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 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 November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 18.74 MXN (100 MXN = 5.34 USD). 1 EUR = 21 MXN (100 MXN = 4.76 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,619 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Zihuatanejo Medellin 3,090 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Zihuatanejo
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

Zihuatanejo vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 42%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,729 per month in Zihuatanejo and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Zihuatanejo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $670 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $49 in Zihuatanejo and $47 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 $1,153 in Zihuatanejo and $1,639 in Medellin. That makes Zihuatanejo about 30% cheaper.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Zihuatanejo, where all-in costs run around $1,153, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Zihuatanejo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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