Cost of Living Comparison Between Antofagasta and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Antofagasta and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $944 in Antofagasta versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,493 in Antofagasta versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,042 in Antofagasta versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Antofagasta costs roughly 7% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Antofagasta 30% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.67 CLP 6,804

$5.99 COP 21.4K

28.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.56 CLP 33.3K

$32.86 COP 117.4K

14.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.03 CLP 7,127

$7.09 COP 25.3K

13.26%

Cappuccino

$2.75 CLP 2,438

$1.71 COP 6,115

60.82%

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

$1.30 CLP 1,152

$1.10 COP 3,924

18.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 CLP 799

$0.78 COP 2,781

15.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.64 CLP 1,457

$1.68 COP 5,997

-2.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 CLP 3,798

$3.07 COP 11.0K

39.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 CLP 993

$1.09 COP 3,906

2.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 CLP 1,545

$1.26 COP 4,508

38.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 CLP 1,168

$1.38 COP 4,922

-4.35%

Eggs

$3.01 CLP 2,669

$2.19 COP 7,827

37.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.98 CLP 8,861

$4.40 COP 15.7K

126.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.28 CLP 3,802

$5.63 COP 20.1K

-23.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.81 CLP 7,815

$8.89 COP 31.8K

-0.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.11 CLP 1,873

$2.34 COP 8,349

-9.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 CLP 2,024

$1.06 COP 3,777

115.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.45 CLP 2,176

$1.50 COP 5,374

63.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.20 CLP 1,069

$1.38 COP 4,924

-13.04%

Potato (1kg)

$0.95 CLP 847

$1.15 COP 4,111

-17.39%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 CLP 831

$1.16 COP 4,155

-18.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 CLP 1,071

$0.89 COP 3,182

35.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 CLP 1,033

$0.84 COP 2,997

38.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.81 CLP 4,272

$2.28 COP 8,145

110.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.00 CLP 5,321

$10.64 COP 38.0K

-43.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 CLP 1,359

$1.20 COP 4,284

27.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 CLP 1,268

$2.47 COP 8,824

-42.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 CLP 548

$0.86 COP 3,056

-27.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.47 CLP 416

$1.47 COP 5,264

-68.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,009

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 CLP 1,240

$0.95 COP 3,409

47.37%

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

$19.7K CLP 17.4M

$18.1K COP 64.7M

8.40%

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

$21.3K CLP 18.9M

$26.5K COP 94.6M

-19.50%

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

$47.75 CLP 42.4K

$82.3 COP 293.7K

-41.95%

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

$10.47 CLP 9,292

$9.50 COP 33.9K

10.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.05 CLP 11.6K

$24.23 COP 86.5K

-46.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.14 CLP 38.3K

$25.89 COP 92.4K

66.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.57 CLP 19.1K

$19.00 COP 67.9K

13.53%

Cinema Ticket

$5.42 CLP 4,806

$3.93 COP 14.0K

37.91%

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

$273 CLP 241.9K

$309 COP 1.1M

-11.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,289 CLP 2.9M

$5,965 COP 21.3M

-44.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.85 CLP 37.1K

$58.7 COP 209.5K

-28.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.11 CLP 14.3K

$32.35 COP 115.5K

-50.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.1 CLP 54.2K

$103 COP 366.4K

-40.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.2 CLP 64.1K

$108 COP 387.2K

-33.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$463 CLP 411.1K

$476 COP 1.7M

-2.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$370 CLP 328.4K

$379 COP 1.4M

-2.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$859 CLP 762.0K

$838 COP 3.0M

2.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$690 CLP 612.2K

$724 COP 2.6M

-4.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$757 CLP 671.5K

$512 COP 1.8M

47.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.18

13.43

-61.43%

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

Last update for Antofagasta: May 30, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $463 in Antofagasta and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Antofagasta pays 48% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $38.00 in Antofagasta vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $210 vs $188 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

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

Antofagasta vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Antofagasta wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Antofagasta the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Antofagasta pays 48% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $463 in Antofagasta versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $273 in Antofagasta versus $309 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Antofagasta – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $944 in Antofagasta versus $1,013 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Antofagasta but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Antofagasta the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Antofagasta delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $944 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Antofagasta hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Antofagasta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.