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: $1,095 in Calama versus $1,003 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,605 in Calama versus $1,573 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,115 in Calama versus $2,143 in Medellin.

Living in Calama is roughly 9% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Calama 18% lower, Medellin 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.17 CLP 7,617

$5.91 COP 18.9K

38.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.06 CLP 30.8K

$32.96 COP 105.2K

0.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.02 CLP 7,484

$7.43 COP 23.7K

7.94%

Cappuccino

$2.10 CLP 1,955

$1.65 COP 5,276

27.27%

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

$1.00 CLP 934

$1.10 COP 3,514

-9.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 CLP 876

$0.78 COP 2,491

20.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.32 CLP 3,093

$1.72 COP 5,484

93.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 CLP 3,856

$3.18 COP 10.1K

29.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 CLP 1,142

$1.10 COP 3,521

10.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.51 CLP 1,413

$1.26 COP 4,015

19.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 CLP 1,786

$1.38 COP 4,407

38.41%

Eggs

$3.45 CLP 3,217

$2.18 COP 6,950

58.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.61 CLP 9,893

$4.49 COP 14.3K

136.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.80 CLP 6,341

$5.79 COP 18.5K

17.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.79 CLP 10.1K

$8.97 COP 28.6K

20.29%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 CLP 1,702

$2.32 COP 7,405

-21.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 CLP 1,467

$1.06 COP 3,397

48.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.60 CLP 1,496

$1.52 COP 4,838

5.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 CLP 1,358

$1.36 COP 4,327

7.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 CLP 1,191

$1.13 COP 3,599

13.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.40 CLP 1,303

$1.17 COP 3,738

19.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 CLP 1,129

$0.90 COP 2,876

34.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 CLP 1,094

$0.90 COP 2,861

30.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.48 CLP 5,112

$2.23 COP 7,128

145.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 CLP 5,361

$12.12 COP 38.7K

-52.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 CLP 1,456

$1.19 COP 3,793

31.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 CLP 2,169

$2.48 COP 7,920

-6.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 CLP 535

$0.85 COP 2,723

-32.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 132.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.51 CLP 473

$1.42 COP 4,518

-64.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 CLP 1,359

$1.95 COP 6,223

-25.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 COP 25.2K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 CLP 1,485

$0.99 COP 3,160

60.61%

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

$19.3K CLP 18.0M

$17.6K COP 56.2M

9.85%

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

$21.4K CLP 19.9M

$26.8K COP 85.5M

-20.28%

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

$134 CLP 125.1K

$83.0 COP 264.9K

61.57%

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

$13.74 CLP 12.8K

$9.70 COP 30.9K

41.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.91 CLP 20.4K

$23.52 COP 75.0K

-6.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.09 CLP 35.5K

$25.26 COP 80.6K

50.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.35 CLP 19.9K

$19.10 COP 60.9K

11.78%

Cinema Ticket

$5.82 CLP 5,428

$3.95 COP 12.6K

47.34%

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

$443 CLP 413.5K

$316 COP 1.0M

40.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,975 COP 19.1M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.5 CLP 48.0K

$60.0 COP 191.4K

-14.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.75 CLP 27.7K

$31.82 COP 101.5K

-6.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.8 CLP 56.7K

$102 COP 324.4K

-40.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.2 CLP 76.6K

$107 COP 342.8K

-23.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$346 CLP 322.8K

$475 COP 1.5M

-27.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$370 CLP 345.2K

$374 COP 1.2M

-1.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$851 CLP 793.8K

$849 COP 2.7M

0.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$597 CLP 556.6K

$719 COP 2.3M

-17.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,455 CLP 1.4M

$3,265 COP 10.4M

-55.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,265 CLP 1.2M

$1,441 COP 4.6M

-12.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,184 CLP 1.1M

$624 COP 2.0M

89.55%

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $346 in Calama and $475 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calama pays 90% 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: $33.00 in Calama vs $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $229 vs $193, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.

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 9% 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.

Average pay runs 90% higher in Calama, 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: $346 in Calama versus $475 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Calama. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,095 per month in Calama versus $1,003 in Medellin – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,003 in Medellin versus $1,095 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 $1,003 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 9% less than in Calama. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.