All Comparisons
Mexico City vs Medellín FIRE Retirement Cost Comparison
Which city is better for FIRE retirement? A data-driven comparison of portfolio requirements, monthly costs, and lifestyle factors.
🇲🇽
Mexico City
Mexico
Lean FIRE $359K
FIRE Number $933K
Fat FIRE $3.84M
Monthly Cost $3,110/mo
Warm Good Common Exercise caution Easy
🇨🇴
Medellín
Colombia
Lean FIRE $311K
FIRE Number $606K
Fat FIRE $2.7M
Monthly Cost $2,020/mo
Warm Good Common Exercise caution Easy
More affordable: Medellín (saves $327K in required portfolio)
Healthcare: Even - both rated Good
Visa: Even - both rated Easy
Safety: Even - both rated Exercise caution
Detailed Comparison
| Category | 🇲🇽 Mexico City | 🇨🇴 Medellín |
|---|---|---|
| Lean FIRE Number | $359K | $311K 👑 |
| FIRE Number | $933K | $606K 👑 |
| Fat FIRE Number | $3.84M | $2.7M 👑 |
| Monthly Cost (FIRE) | $3,110/mo | $2,020/mo 👑 |
| Safety | Exercise caution Tie | Exercise caution Tie |
| Healthcare | Good Tie | Good Tie |
| Climate | Warm | Warm |
| English | Common | Common |
| Visa | Easy Tie | Easy Tie |
Which City Is Right for Your FIRE Goals?
Choose Medellín if: you want to minimize your FIRE Number. At $606K, it's $327K cheaper to reach comfortable FIRE here compared to Mexico City.
Choose Mexico City if: healthcare access is a priority — it has Good healthcare infrastructure (both cities are comparable).
Choose Mexico City if: you want easier residency access — visa difficulty is rated "Easy" (both cities have similar visa requirements).