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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,121 per month in Zihuatanejo vs $1,034 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,798 per month in Zihuatanejo vs $1,577 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,475 per month in Zihuatanejo vs $2,120 in Medellin, rent included.

Zihuatanejo costs about 8% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Zihuatanejo and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – Zihuatanejo 16% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.78 MX$189

$5.92 COP 21.4K

82.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.53 MX$674

$32.75 COP 118.2K

17.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.01 MX$140

$7.20 COP 26.0K

11.25%

Cappuccino

$3.32 MX$58.1

$1.70 COP 6,140

95.29%

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

$1.29 MX$22.50

$1.10 COP 3,966

17.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 MX$17.11

$0.72 COP 2,605

36.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 MX$41.14

$1.67 COP 6,022

40.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 MX$68.1

$3.10 COP 11.2K

25.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 MX$25.10

$1.06 COP 3,809

34.91%

White Bread (500g)

$3.57 MX$62.5

$1.25 COP 4,497

185.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 MX$28.59

$1.39 COP 5,022

17.27%

Eggs

$4.34 MX$75.9

$2.26 COP 8,168

92.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$145

$4.33 COP 15.6K

90.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.73 MX$135

$5.84 COP 21.1K

32.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.67 MX$187

$8.83 COP 31.9K

20.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 MX$47.31

$2.24 COP 8,099

20.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 MX$25.50

$1.08 COP 3,882

35.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.74 MX$30.41

$1.53 COP 5,522

13.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.66 MX$29.05

$1.37 COP 4,950

21.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 MX$33.24

$1.13 COP 4,078

68.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 MX$34.12

$1.12 COP 4,036

74.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 MX$21.93

$0.85 COP 3,057

47.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 MX$17.96

$0.91 COP 3,281

13.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.10 MX$71.7

$2.33 COP 8,414

75.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.50 MX$184

$11.13 COP 40.2K

-5.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 MX$28.41

$1.19 COP 4,309

36.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 MX$48.20

$2.37 COP 8,553

16.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 MX$10.78

$0.79 COP 2,838

-21.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.60 MX$45.55

$1.44 COP 5,184

80.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 MX$27.78

$1.91 COP 6,901

-16.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.43 MX$148

$8.02 COP 28.9K

5.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 MX$22.90

$0.94 COP 3,385

39.36%

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

$21.5K MX$376.4K

$17.9K COP 64.7M

20.02%

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

$22.1K MX$387.1K

$26.8K COP 96.7M

-17.42%

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

$56.8 MX$994

$84.0 COP 303.1K

-32.34%

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

$10.18 MX$178

$9.60 COP 34.7K

6.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.96 MX$489

$24.16 COP 87.2K

15.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.85 MX$627

$25.88 COP 93.4K

38.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.66 MX$274

$19.04 COP 68.7K

-17.75%

Cinema Ticket

$4.58 MX$80.1

$3.92 COP 14.1K

16.84%

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

$202 MX$3,538

$306 COP 1.1M

-34.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,555 MX$62.2K

$5,919 COP 21.4M

-39.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.0 MX$928

$57.9 COP 209.1K

-8.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.09 MX$702

$31.82 COP 114.9K

25.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.7 MX$1,570

$99.9 COP 360.6K

-10.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.8 MX$1,396

$107 COP 386.8K

-25.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$502 MX$8,790

$487 COP 1.8M

3.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$399 MX$6,988

$368 COP 1.3M

8.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$938 MX$16.4K

$826 COP 3.0M

13.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$757 MX$13.2K

$716 COP 2.6M

5.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,967 MX$34.4K

$2,925 COP 10.6M

-32.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,288 MX$22.5K

$1,407 COP 5.1M

-8.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $502 in Zihuatanejo versus $487 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 $39.00 in Zihuatanejo versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $268 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 8%, 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 $1,682 per month in Zihuatanejo and $1,550 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 $39.00 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 41% 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 $1,034, than in Zihuatanejo at $1,121. 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.