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City comparison

Medellín vs Mérida

In short

Calculated from the figures below, with no overall “who wins” score.

  • Rent

    in Mérida cheaper — −31%

  • Family budget

    in Medellín cheaper — −33%

  • Internet

    in Medellín cheaper — −49%

In numbers

Exchange rate as of the date each figure was checked.

  • House or apartment rent

    per month
    Medellín≈ $939–2,090COP 3.1–6.9M
    Mérida≈ $828–1,270MX$15k – 22,925
    cheaper by 31%
  • Family budget

    per month
    Medellín≈ $728COP 2,403,888
    cheaper by 33%
    Mérida≈ $1,080MX$19,621
  • Internet

    per month
    Medellín≈ $23–27COP 75,900–90,321
    cheaper by 49%
    Mérida≈ $21–77MX$389–1,399
  • Private school

    per month
    Medellín≈ $1,300COP 4,298,719
    Mérida≈ $221–663MX$4,000 – 12k
    cheaper by 66%
  • Winter

    average
    Medellín17–27 °C17–27 °C
    Mérida17–31 °C17–31 °C
  • Precipitation

    per year
    Medellín1,673 mm1,673 mm
    Mérida1,050 mm1,050 mm
  • Ready-made house

    purchase
    Medellín≈ $164–279kCOP 540–920M
    cheaper by 20%
    Mérida≈ $221–331kMX$4–6M

By topic

A quick look at each city. Details and sources are on the city page.

Daily life

Medellín

Strata: what they change

A housing stratum from 1 to 6 appears in the listing and in the tariffs. In 5–6 electricity is 20% more expensive than in 4, water 1.5–1.6 times. A three-bedroom in stratum 4 is about 3.3 million pesos, in 6 - 8 million.

OfficialEPM: electricity rates, regulated market, September 2026 · checked 29 Sep 2026

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Mérida

Who lives here

By the 2020 census the municipality of Mérida has 995 thousand residents, the city itself 922 thousand. 19% of residents were born in another Mexican state.

OfficialINEGI: 2020 census, results by locality for Yucatán (ITER) · checked 6 Oct 2026

Spread by neighborhood

A two-bedroom in Temozón Norte is mostly 15-17k pesos for 70-100 m², in Altabrisa 32-38k, in Montejo 21-27k, in Cholul and Villas del Sol 11.5-15k.

SpecialistMercado Libre: two-bedroom apartments for rent in Mérida · checked 6 Oct 2026

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Housing

Medellín

Three-bedroom rent by neighborhood

Three-bedroom apartment: Belén and Sabaneta 3.1–3.3 million pesos a month, Laureles and Envigado 4.5 million, El Poblado 6.9 million. Listing medians.

SpecialistFincaraíz: three-bedroom apartments for rent in El Poblado · checked 29 Sep 2026

Buying an apartment

Three-bedroom resale: Sabaneta about 540 million pesos, Laureles 725 million, El Poblado 873 million, Envigado 920 million. These are listing prices, not transaction prices.

SpecialistFincaraíz: three-bedroom apartments for sale in El Poblado · checked 29 Sep 2026

Everything about housing in Medellín →

Mérida

Long-term rent

A two-bedroom apartment in listings is about 16,750 pesos a month, half between 15,000 and 22,900. Of 311 offers, 61 are under 15k and 116 above 20k.

SpecialistMercado Libre: two-bedroom apartments for rent in Mérida · checked 6 Oct 2026

Buying a house

Three-bedroom house: 1034 listings up to 4M pesos, 1355 from 4 to 6M, 1475 above. First-page median 6.65M, about 23k per square meter.

SpecialistMercado Libre: three-bedroom houses for sale in Mérida · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about housing in Mérida →

Money and prices

Medellín

Groceries for a family

The DANE minimum food basket for Medellín is 240,728 pesos per person per month, about 963k for a family of four. Figures for 2025.

OfficialDANE: monetary poverty 2025, presentation of results with poverty lines by city · checked 29 Sep 2026

Family monthly budget

A family of four in Medellín is considered poor with an income below 2.4 million pesos a month, about $730 (2025). The average income is 1.93 million per person.

OfficialDANE: monetary poverty 2025, presentation of results with poverty lines by city · checked 29 Sep 2026

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Mérida

Groceries for a family

INEGI's urban food basket is 2562.58 pesos per person a month, 10,250 for a family of four (August 2026). A nationwide figure, the food minimum.

OfficialINEGI: income poverty lines, August 2026 (bulletin 592/26) · checked 6 Oct 2026

Family budget per month

INEGI's urban poverty line is 4905.33 pesos per person, 19,621 a month for a family of four (August 2026). A floor without rent, not a real budget.

OfficialINEGI: income poverty lines, August 2026 (bulletin 592/26) · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about money and prices in Mérida →

Family and kids

Medellín

Private school

The international The Columbus School in Envigado for 2026–27: 4.3 million pesos a month from August to May plus a 4.8 million fee in June. This is the upper bound.

SpecialistThe Columbus School: fees for the 2026-27 school year · checked 29 Sep 2026

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Mérida

Private schools

Micole's estimate for Yucatán: primary school 4000-12,000 pesos a month, kindergarten 3000-8000, international and IB schools 15,000-35,000. Plus an annual fee.

SpecialistMicole: how much a private school costs in Yucatán in 2026 · checked 6 Oct 2026

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Healthcare

Medellín

Hospitals in the ranking

In the Newsweek 2026 ranking for Colombia, Hospital Pablo Tobón Uribe is 3rd, San Vicente Fundación 8th, and six more clinics of the metropolitan area are in the top 45. The ranking is commercial.

SpecialistNewsweek and Statista: World’s Best Hospitals 2026, Colombia · checked 29 Sep 2026

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Mérida

Private hospitals

According to INEGI, Mérida has 13 private medical facilities with 337 beds (2025). Guadalajara, for comparison, has 76 and 1473. Public hospitals not counted.

OfficialINEGI: statistics of private health facilities (ESEP) 2025, report 28/26 · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about healthcare in Mérida →

Transport

Medellín

Metro and fares

A ride on the metro, tram, cable car or Metroplús with a personalized Cívica card costs 3,820 pesos, 4,400 with an anonymous card, 1,600 for students.

OfficialMetro de Medellín: fares by Cívica card profile · checked 29 Sep 2026

Rionegro airport

The main airport, José María Córdova, is in Rionegro, about 35 km from the city. In 2025 it handled 14.6 million passengers, 4.2 million of them international.

SpecialistLadevi: José María Córdova airport, passenger record in 2025 · checked 29 Sep 2026

Everything about transport in Medellín →

Mérida

Roads and airport

The airport is 7 km from the main square, about 9 minutes without traffic. In August 2026: 374 thousand passengers, almost all domestic, 35 thousand international.

OfficialASUR: airport passenger traffic for August 2026 (filing on the BMV stock exchange) · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about transport in Mérida →

Climate

Medellín

Temperature all year round

No winter: the average monthly temperature is 21–22.5 degrees all year round. Coolest in October: on average from 16.6 at night to 26.8 during the day.

OfficialIDEAM: climate table, Olaya Herrera airport (Medellín) · checked 29 Sep 2026

Precipitation and seasonality

About 1,670 mm a year and 224 days with rain. Two wet seasons, April–May and September–November; driest in December–February.

OfficialIDEAM: climate table, Olaya Herrera airport (Medellín) · checked 29 Sep 2026

Everything about climate in Medellín →

Mérida

Heat

The hottest month is May: on average 36.1 degrees by day and 21.3 at night. From April to September the mean maximum is 34-36 degrees.

OfficialWMO World Weather Information Service: climate normals for Mérida · checked 6 Oct 2026

Rainfall and seasons

About 1050 mm a year, 71% of it from June to October, 120-175 mm a month. March and April are the driest, about 25 mm.

OfficialWMO World Weather Information Service: climate normals for Mérida · checked 6 Oct 2026

Winter

The coolest month is January: on average 31.3 degrees by day and 17 at night. There is no winter as such; it is the mildest time of the year.

OfficialWMO World Weather Information Service: climate normals for Mérida · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about climate in Mérida →

Safety

Medellín

Murders and thefts

In 2025 there were 326 murders, about 13 per 100k residents; for the country in 2024 it was 25.4. In El Poblado and Laureles there are few murders, the most are in the center.

SpecialistQue Pasa Medallo: homicides in Medellín in 2025 according to SISC · checked 29 Sep 2026

Everything about safety in Medellín →

Mérida

Hurricanes

The last strong hit was Isidore in September 2002: it made landfall as a category 3 near Telchac, and its eyewall passed over Mérida. Milton in 2024 passed by at sea.

OfficialNHC: Tropical Cyclone Report, Hurricane Isidore (AL102002) · checked 6 Oct 2026

Safety in statistics

In June 2026, 38.2% of adults in Mérida felt unsafe versus 59.8% nationwide. Homicides in 2024: 33, about 3 per 100,000 residents.

OfficialINEGI: ENSU, perceived safety by city, June 2026 (report 27/26) · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about safety in Mérida →

Internet and phone

Medellín

Home internet

Tigo gives 500 Mbit/s for 75,900 pesos a month in strata 1–3 and for 90,321 in strata 4–6, VAT included. On the cable network the upload is only 15 Mbit/s.

SpecialistTigo: terms of the Full Tigo package for Medellín and the metropolitan area, January 2026 · checked 29 Sep 2026

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Mérida

Internet per month

Telmex: from 389 pesos for 120 Mbps to 1399 for a gigabit. Totalplay 100 Mbps for 390, Megacable 1000 Mbps for 1000 pesos on promotion. Prices are nationwide.

SpecialistExpansión: Telmex, Totalplay, Megacable and Izzi internet packages, September 2026 · checked 6 Oct 2026

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Services

Medellín

Network gas

EPM network gas in strata 3–4: 3,560 pesos per m³ plus a fixed charge of 4,390 a month. For 30 m³ it comes to about 111k pesos ($34). In stratum 6 the price is 4,272 per m³.

OfficialEPM: piped gas tariffs, Valle de Aburrá, September 2026 consumption (October bills) · checked 29 Sep 2026

Electricity and water by stratum

Electricity for 200 kWh and water for 15 m³ at EPM tariffs: stratum 4 about 342k pesos a month, strata 5–6 - 455–470k, stratum 3 - 306k. Gas and garbage are extra.

OfficialEPM: electricity rates, regulated market, September 2026 · checked 29 Sep 2026

Electricity for 300 kWh by stratum

EPM electricity for 300 kWh a month: stratum 4 about 288k pesos ($87), stratum 6 about 345k, stratum 3 about 269k. September 2026 tariff, excluding fees.

OfficialEPM: electricity tariffs, regulated market, September 2026 · checked 29 Sep 2026

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Mérida

Water: JAPAY tariff

JAPAY water from 1 Feb 2026: up to 20 m³ a flat charge by city zone, 67-107 pesos. 15 m³ costs 99-104 pesos, with sewerage (plus 50%) 149-156.

OfficialJAPAY: water and sewerage tariffs from 1 February 2026 · checked 6 Oct 2026

LP gas: price cap

LP gas price cap in Mérida for 27 Sep - 3 Oct 2026: 20.66 pesos per kg, 11.16 per liter. A 20 kg cylinder at the cap is about 413 pesos.

OfficialComisión Nacional de Energía: maximum LP gas prices from 27 September to 3 October 2026 · checked 6 Oct 2026

Electricity at the CFE tariff

Yucatán has the hot-climate CFE tariffs 1C and 1D: cheap kWh up to 850-1000 a month, summer relief until 31 October. 1000 kWh over two months on 1D costs 2255 pesos.

SpecialistRiviera Maya News: a proposal to move Yucatán to CFE tariff 1F · checked 6 Oct 2026

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