Cost of Living Comparison Between Calama and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Calama and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,077 in Calama versus $1,034 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,598 in Calama versus $1,577 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,119 in Calama versus $2,120 in Medellin.

Living in Calama is roughly 4% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Calama 20% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.95 CLP 7,068

$5.92 COP 21.4K

34.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.74 CLP 30.0K

$32.75 COP 118.2K

3.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.75 CLP 6,890

$7.20 COP 26.0K

7.64%

Cappuccino

$2.20 CLP 1,959

$1.70 COP 6,140

29.41%

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

$0.92 CLP 822

$1.10 COP 3,966

-16.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 CLP 847

$0.72 COP 2,605

31.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.31 CLP 2,948

$1.67 COP 6,022

98.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.06 CLP 3,612

$3.10 COP 11.2K

30.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 CLP 1,061

$1.06 COP 3,809

12.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 CLP 1,379

$1.25 COP 4,497

24.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 CLP 1,740

$1.39 COP 5,022

41.01%

Eggs

$3.47 CLP 3,084

$2.26 COP 8,168

53.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.29 CLP 9,147

$4.33 COP 15.6K

137.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.55 CLP 5,822

$5.84 COP 21.1K

12.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.04 CLP 9,815

$8.83 COP 31.9K

25.03%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 CLP 1,675

$2.24 COP 8,099

-16.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 CLP 1,334

$1.08 COP 3,882

38.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 CLP 1,350

$1.53 COP 5,522

-0.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 CLP 1,334

$1.37 COP 4,950

9.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 CLP 1,142

$1.13 COP 4,078

13.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 CLP 1,202

$1.12 COP 4,036

20.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 CLP 1,073

$0.85 COP 3,057

42.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 CLP 1,090

$0.91 COP 3,281

35.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.53 CLP 4,917

$2.33 COP 8,414

137.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.51 CLP 4,006

$11.13 COP 40.2K

-59.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 CLP 1,414

$1.19 COP 4,309

33.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 CLP 1,960

$2.37 COP 8,553

-7.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.58 CLP 515

$0.79 COP 2,838

-26.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.50 CLP 447

$1.44 COP 5,184

-65.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 CLP 1,363

$1.91 COP 6,901

-19.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 CLP 1,356

$0.94 COP 3,385

62.77%

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

$19.9K CLP 17.7M

$17.9K COP 64.7M

11.16%

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

$21.1K CLP 18.8M

$26.8K COP 96.7M

-21.23%

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

$134 CLP 119.2K

$84.0 COP 303.1K

59.65%

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

$13.69 CLP 12.2K

$9.60 COP 34.7K

42.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.18 CLP 19.7K

$24.16 COP 87.2K

-8.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.16 CLP 33.9K

$25.88 COP 93.4K

47.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.33 CLP 19.0K

$19.04 COP 68.7K

12.03%

Cinema Ticket

$5.68 CLP 5,055

$3.92 COP 14.1K

44.90%

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

$432 CLP 384.4K

$306 COP 1.1M

41.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.1 CLP 44.5K

$57.9 COP 209.1K

-13.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.74 CLP 26.4K

$31.82 COP 114.9K

-6.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.5 CLP 54.7K

$99.9 COP 360.6K

-38.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 CLP 73.3K

$107 COP 386.8K

-23.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$348 CLP 309.4K

$487 COP 1.8M

-28.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$369 CLP 328.0K

$368 COP 1.3M

0.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$852 CLP 757.4K

$826 COP 3.0M

3.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$590 CLP 524.8K

$716 COP 2.6M

-17.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,543 CLP 1.4M

$2,925 COP 10.6M

-47.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,368 CLP 1.2M

$1,407 COP 5.1M

-2.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,213 CLP 1.1M

$546 COP 2.0M

122.37%

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 Calama: April 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $348 in Calama and $487 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calama pays 122% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $34.00 in Calama vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $225 vs $190 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

Calama vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Calama. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Calama pays 122% 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: $348 in Calama versus $487 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Calama. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,077 per month in Calama versus $1,034 in Medellin – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,034 in Medellin versus $1,077 in Calama, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Calama. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,034 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Calama. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.