✦ Compare
Medellín vs
Monterrey
Cost-of-living comparison and salary equivalence. Enter your current salary to see what you'd need to earn to live equally well.
Medellín, CO vs Monterrey, MX at a glance — Monterrey, MX is 25% more expensive than Medellín, CO overall. Median 1-bed rent runs about $650/mo versus $550/mo. Top income tax: 35% vs 39%.
To keep the same standard of living in Monterrey, MX, you'd need
$93,761 / year
Monterrey, MX is 25% more expensive overall
Category breakdown (Monterrey, MX vs Medellín, CO)
- Housing+31%
- Food & groceries+29%
- Transport+20%
- Utilities+49%
- Healthcare+13%
- Goods & services+17%
◎ How Medellín, CO and Monterrey, MX compare
Index vs the US average — the line marks 100. Lower is cheaper.
▤ Full comparison
| Medellín, CO | Monterrey, MX | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | ||
| Overall cost index | 49 | 62 |
| Housing | 42 | 55 |
| Food | 48 | 62 |
| Transport | 40 | 48 |
| Utilities | 55 | 82 |
| Healthcare | 55 | 62 |
| Goods & services | 58 | 68 |
| Housing | ||
| Rent, 1-bed centre | $550/mo | $650/mo |
| Rent, 1-bed outside | $350/mo | — |
| Rent, 3-bed centre | $1,100/mo | — |
| Buy price / m² centre | $1,800 | — |
| Money & purchasing power | ||
| $1,000 goes as far as | $2,029 | $1,623 |
| Inexpensive meal | $5 | — |
| Monthly transit pass | $40 | — |
| Taxes | ||
| Income tax (top rate) | 39% | 35% |
| VAT / sales tax | 19% | 16% |
| Corporate tax | 35% | 30% |
| Economy & salaries | ||
| Avg net salary | $450/mo | $700/mo |
| Avg annual wage (OECD, PPP) | — | $24,463✓ |
| Minimum wage | $330/mo | $420/mo |
| GDP per capita | $6,976✓ | $13,889✓ |
| Inflation (annual) | 5.2%✓ | 3.8%✓ |
| Work & digital nomad | ||
| Digital-nomad visa | Yes | Yes |
| English proficiency | Low | — |
| Coworking spaces | 40 | — |
| Time zone | UTC-5 | — |
| Quality of life | ||
| Quality of life (overall) | 59 | — |
| Safety index | 48 | — |
| Healthcare index | 70 | — |
| Pollution index | 55 | — |
| Internet speed | 80 Mbps | — |
| Walkability | 55 | — |
| Public transport | 68 | — |
| Family-friendly | 58 | — |
| Tap water | Safe to drink | — |
| Life expectancy | 74 yr✓ | 75 yr✓ |
| LGBTQ+ acceptance | High | Moderate |
| Climate | ||
| January avg | +22 °C | — |
| July avg | +22 °C | — |
| Sunny days / year | 200 | — |
| Rainfall / year | 1,600 mm | — |
| Connectivity | ||
| Flight to nearest hub | 1.5 h | — |
Taxes & Economy & salaries: Colombia vs Mexico. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.
✓ = official statistics (OECD (PPP), World Bank 2025, World Bank 2024). Unmarked figures are CostTrek estimates. How we calculate these figures →
Cost of living: Medellín vs Monterrey — in your currency
Converted from USD at approximate rates (2026-09).
Good to know before you move to Medellín
A dramatic turnaround story with a year-round spring climate and a modern metro. El Poblado and Laureles anchor a booming nomad scene; costs are low and healthcare excellent, but safety still varies sharply by neighbourhood.
- Currency
- Colombian peso ($ COP)
- Languages
- Spanish
- Time zone
- UTC-5
- Internet
- 80 Mbps
- English
- Rarely spoken
- Safety
- 48/100
- Climate
- ❄ 22°C · ☀ 22°C · 200 sunny days/yr
- Tap water
- Safe to drink
- Power
- A/B · 110V
- Driving
- Right-hand side
- Popular areas
- El Poblado · Laureles · Envigado · Belén
Good to know before you move to Monterrey
- Currency
- Mexican peso ($ MXN)
- Languages
- Spanish
- Power
- A/B · 127V
- Driving
- Right-hand side
Plan your move to Medellín
Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.
- FlightsAviasales
- HotelsPlanetofhotels
- Car rentalLocalrent
- Airport transferKiwitaxi
- Tours & ticketsKlook
- InsuranceSafetyWing
- eSIM / dataAiralo
- Luggage storageRadical Storage
Sponsored
Plan your move to Monterrey
Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.
- FlightsAviasales
- HotelsPlanetofhotels
- Car rentalLocalrent
- Airport transferKiwitaxi
- Tours & ticketsKlook
- eSIM / dataAiralo
- Luggage storageRadical Storage
Sponsored
? Frequently asked questions
Moving from Medellín to Monterrey: cheaper or more expensive?
Moving from Medellín to Monterrey, your cost of living will be roughly 25% more expensive. Monterrey’s cost-of-living index is 62 versus 49 for Medellín (US = 100). Use the salary tool above to see the income you’d need to keep the same lifestyle.
Is Medellín cheaper than Monterrey?
Monterrey is about 25% more expensive than Medellín overall — its cost-of-living index is 62 versus 49 for Medellín.
Which is more expensive, Medellín or Monterrey?
Monterrey is more expensive than Medellín. Its cost-of-living index is 62 vs 49 (US = 100) — about 27% higher.
Is rent cheaper in Medellín or Monterrey?
Rent is cheaper in Medellín — about $550/month for a one-bedroom in the city centre, vs $650 in Monterrey.
How much do you need to earn in Monterrey to live like in Medellín?
To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Medellín is worth about $93,761 in Monterrey. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.
Which has lower taxes, Medellín or Monterrey?
Mexico has the lower top income-tax rate — 35% versus 39% in Colombia.
◷ More comparisons from Medellín
How we calculate these figures →
Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.