Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Antofagasta and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Antofagasta: $888 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Antofagasta
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Antofagasta Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

Jump to prices

Antofagasta

🇨🇱 Chile

$888

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Antofagasta and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Antofagasta and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $888 in Antofagasta versus $1,614 in Medellin.

Antofagasta $888
Medellin $1,614

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,416 in Antofagasta versus $2,402 in Medellin.

Antofagasta $1,416
Medellin $2,402

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,944 in Antofagasta versus $3,190 in Medellin.

Antofagasta $1,944
Medellin $3,190

Living in Antofagasta costs roughly 45% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Antofagasta is 34% below, Medellin is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.05 CLP 6,935

$7.93 COP 25.2K

-11.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.93 CLP 35.4K

$46.13 COP 146.3K

-22.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.29 CLP 7,179

$9.50 COP 30.1K

-23.26%

Cappuccino

$2.57 CLP 2,528

$3.11 COP 9,866

-17.36%

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

$1.28 CLP 1,264

$1.83 COP 5,800

-30.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 CLP 862

$1.38 COP 4,360

-36.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.51 CLP 1,488

$3.05 COP 9,672

-50.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 CLP 1,765

$5.50 COP 17.4K

-67.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 CLP 1,054

$1.45 COP 4,600

-26.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 CLP 1,834

$2.36 COP 7,496

-21.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.22 CLP 1,199

$1.68 COP 5,328

-27.38%

Eggs

$2.59 CLP 2,553

$2.86 COP 9,077

-9.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.02 CLP 8,878

$10.19 COP 32.3K

-11.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.31 CLP 3,260

$9.53 COP 30.2K

-65.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.72 CLP 7,599

$14.04 COP 44.5K

-45.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.03 CLP 1,996

$4.07 COP 12.9K

-50.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.26 CLP 2,223

$1.50 COP 4,742

50.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.85 CLP 2,809

$2.17 COP 6,891

31.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.10 CLP 1,081

$2.31 COP 7,310

-52.38%

Potato (1kg)

$0.88 CLP 864

$1.93 COP 6,113

-54.40%

Onion (1kg)

$0.78 CLP 772

$1.64 COP 5,196

-52.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 CLP 1,283

$1.13 COP 3,571

15.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 CLP 1,102

$1.25 COP 3,954

-10.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.29 CLP 5,209

$3.99 COP 12.6K

32.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.13 CLP 5,048

$13.35 COP 42.3K

-61.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 CLP 1,328

$1.70 COP 5,384

-20.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 CLP 992

$2.37 COP 7,525

-57.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.62 CLP 613

$1.21 COP 3,827

-48.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 CLP 2,584

$1.32 COP 4,179

99.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CLP 1,318

$1.30 COP 4,114

3.08%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

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

$17.5K CLP 17.2M

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-50.58%

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

$46.23 CLP 45.5K

$172 COP 545.6K

-73.14%

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

$9.82 CLP 9,669

$13.37 COP 42.4K

-26.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$12.54 CLP 12.3K

$28.73 COP 91.1K

-56.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.34 CLP 40.7K

$45.24 COP 143.5K

-8.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.15 CLP 24.8K

$17.04 COP 54.0K

47.59%

Cinema Ticket

$5.17 CLP 5,086

$6.28 COP 19.9K

-17.68%

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

$255 CLP 250.6K

$770 COP 2.4M

-66.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,160 CLP 3.1M

$9,011 COP 28.6M

-64.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.01 CLP 38.4K

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-54.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.18 CLP 14.9K

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-73.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$58.3 CLP 57.4K

$137 COP 432.9K

-57.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.7 CLP 66.6K

$97.9 COP 310.4K

-30.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$437 CLP 430.0K

$1,055 COP 3.3M

-58.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$359 CLP 352.9K

$616 COP 2.0M

-41.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$811 CLP 798.7K

$1,892 COP 6.0M

-57.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$659 CLP 648.9K

$1,023 COP 3.2M

-35.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$711 CLP 700.2K

$652 COP 2.1M

9.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Antofagasta: October 12, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Antofagasta

$359 40.4%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 71.7% $257

Groceries & Markets

Antofagasta

$194 21.8%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 52% $101

Eating Out

Antofagasta

$129 14.5%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 30.7% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Antofagasta

$81 9.1%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 110% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Antofagasta

$69 7.7%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 212% $146

Sport & Entertainment

Antofagasta

$52 5.8%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 11.9% $6.1

Getting Around

Antofagasta

$5.1 * 0.6%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 1723% $88

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $437 in Antofagasta and $1,055 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Antofagasta pays 9% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $36.00 in Antofagasta vs $46.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $194 vs $295 per month, with Antofagasta cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Antofagasta

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

16:37 4:37 PM

14:37 2:37 PM

2 h behind Antofagasta

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

348,517

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.16 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to CLP – Chilean Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇱 Chilean Peso ($)

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 984 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,107 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to CLP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Antofagasta Medellin 3,370 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Antofagasta
Medellin

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 82% 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.

Average pay runs 9% higher in Antofagasta, 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: $437 in Antofagasta versus $1,055 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $255 in Antofagasta versus $770 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 $36.00 versus $46.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $888 in Antofagasta versus $1,614 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 $888 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 82% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.