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: $964 in Antofagasta versus $1,031 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,529 in Antofagasta versus $1,599 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,093 in Antofagasta versus $2,167 in Medellin.

Living in Antofagasta costs roughly 6% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Antofagasta 28% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.37 CLP 6,864

$6.16 COP 20.0K

19.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$37.04 CLP 34.5K

$32.60 COP 106.0K

13.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.59 CLP 7,068

$7.34 COP 23.9K

3.41%

Cappuccino

$2.75 CLP 2,560

$1.72 COP 5,592

59.88%

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

$1.29 CLP 1,202

$1.05 COP 3,416

22.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 CLP 899

$0.77 COP 2,511

25.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 CLP 1,552

$1.69 COP 5,480

-1.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 CLP 3,973

$3.17 COP 10.3K

34.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 CLP 1,064

$1.05 COP 3,418

8.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 CLP 1,608

$1.30 COP 4,230

33.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 CLP 1,161

$1.40 COP 4,538

-10.71%

Eggs

$2.94 CLP 2,738

$2.16 COP 7,037

36.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 CLP 9,257

$4.39 COP 14.3K

126.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.30 CLP 4,003

$5.88 COP 19.1K

-26.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.88 CLP 8,267

$8.64 COP 28.1K

2.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.11 CLP 1,967

$2.28 COP 7,415

-7.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 CLP 2,193

$1.11 COP 3,599

112.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 CLP 2,397

$1.53 COP 4,976

67.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.16 CLP 1,082

$1.35 COP 4,405

-14.07%

Potato (1kg)

$0.89 CLP 831

$1.13 COP 3,669

-21.24%

Onion (1kg)

$0.94 CLP 877

$1.13 COP 3,687

-16.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 CLP 1,162

$0.85 COP 2,749

47.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 CLP 1,141

$0.91 COP 2,971

34.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.84 CLP 4,503

$2.34 COP 7,619

106.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.87 CLP 5,468

$12.37 COP 40.2K

-52.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 CLP 1,447

$1.20 COP 3,904

29.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 CLP 1,275

$2.49 COP 8,094

-44.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.63 CLP 590

$0.84 COP 2,724

-25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 131.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.50 CLP 467

$1.42 COP 4,617

-64.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,227

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 CLP 1,308

$0.99 COP 3,219

41.41%

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

$19.4K CLP 18.0M

$18.0K COP 58.6M

7.43%

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

$21.6K CLP 20.1M

$26.6K COP 86.6M

-19.00%

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

$47.85 CLP 44.6K

$80.8 COP 262.7K

-40.79%

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

$10.53 CLP 9,807

$9.95 COP 32.3K

5.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$13.11 CLP 12.2K

$24.18 COP 78.6K

-45.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.75 CLP 40.7K

$25.08 COP 81.5K

74.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.04 CLP 19.6K

$19.15 COP 62.3K

9.87%

Cinema Ticket

$5.48 CLP 5,102

$3.98 COP 13.0K

37.69%

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

$270 CLP 251.5K

$305 COP 992.2K

-11.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,357 CLP 3.1M

$6,059 COP 19.7M

-44.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.10 CLP 38.3K

$58.1 COP 189.0K

-29.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.09 CLP 15.0K

$32.20 COP 104.7K

-50.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.8 CLP 56.6K

$101 COP 327.5K

-39.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.1 CLP 66.2K

$108 COP 350.3K

-34.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$472 CLP 439.3K

$477 COP 1.5M

-1.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 CLP 348.0K

$376 COP 1.2M

-0.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$851 CLP 792.8K

$845 COP 2.7M

0.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$704 CLP 655.8K

$730 COP 2.4M

-3.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$732 CLP 682.1K

$617 COP 2.0M

18.75%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $472 in Antofagasta and $477 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Antofagasta pays 19% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $37.00 in Antofagasta vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $211 vs $193 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.

Average pay runs 19% 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: $472 in Antofagasta versus $477 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $270 in Antofagasta versus $305 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 $37.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $964 in Antofagasta versus $1,031 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 $964 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.