Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Castro and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Castro: $858 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Castro

🇨🇱 Chile

$858

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Castro 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 Castro and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $858 per month in Castro vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Castro $858
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $1,360 per month in Castro vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Castro $1,360
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $1,862 per month in Castro vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Castro $1,862
Medellin $3,186

Castro is about 48% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Castro sits 37% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 CLP 7,963

$8.09 COP 26.1K

-0.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.65 CLP 44.4K

$47.05 COP 151.9K

-5.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.70 CLP 5,658

$9.50 COP 30.7K

-40.00%

Cappuccino

$1.54 CLP 1,532

$3.01 COP 9,735

-48.84%

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

$1.19 CLP 1,184

$1.80 COP 5,809

-33.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 CLP 1,022

$1.41 COP 4,561

-26.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.18 CLP 5,150

$3.18 COP 10.3K

62.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.13 CLP 7,080

$5.75 COP 18.6K

24.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 CLP 1,058

$1.51 COP 4,876

-29.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.52 CLP 3,492

$2.38 COP 7,678

47.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.27 CLP 1,265

$1.77 COP 5,720

-28.25%

Eggs

$4.21 CLP 4,182

$2.89 COP 9,333

45.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.85 CLP 9,789

$10.19 COP 32.9K

-3.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.01 CLP 3,988

$9.87 COP 31.9K

-59.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.37 CLP 8,316

$13.99 COP 45.2K

-40.17%

Apples (1kg)

$1.38 CLP 1,367

$3.97 COP 12.8K

-65.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 CLP 2,139

$1.55 COP 5,012

38.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 CLP 1,476

$2.18 COP 7,048

-31.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.88 CLP 1,867

$2.18 COP 7,051

-13.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 CLP 1,159

$1.96 COP 6,337

-40.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.56 CLP 1,546

$1.15 COP 3,699

35.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 CLP 1,465

$1.24 COP 4,014

18.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.56 CLP 3,537

$3.96 COP 12.8K

-10.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.63 CLP 7,575

$13.68 COP 44.2K

-44.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 CLP 1,018

$1.66 COP 5,359

-37.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 CLP 2,977

$2.26 COP 7,291

32.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.71 CLP 709

$1.17 COP 3,771

-39.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 CLP 1,283

$1.35 COP 4,349

-4.44%

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

$15.3K CLP 15.2M

$34.1K COP 110.0M

-55.23%

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

$17.9K CLP 17.8M

$34.7K COP 111.9M

-48.32%

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

$130 CLP 129.1K

$170 COP 547.8K

-23.38%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.80 CLP 29.6K

$28.07 COP 90.6K

6.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

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

$797 COP 2.6M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.4 CLP 78.9K

$135 COP 435.8K

-41.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$351 CLP 348.4K

$1,208 COP 3.9M

-70.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$279 CLP 277.2K

$642 COP 2.1M

-56.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 CLP 1.0M

$2,028 COP 6.5M

-50.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$570 CLP 565.7K

$1,012 COP 3.3M

-43.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$600 CLP 595.8K

$657 COP 2.1M

-8.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-36.01%

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

Last update for Castro: October 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Castro

–

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Groceries & Markets

Castro

–

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Castro

–

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Eating Out

Castro

–

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Castro

–

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Getting Around

Castro

–

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Sport & Entertainment

Castro

–

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $351 in Castro versus $1,208 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 10% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in Castro versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $231 vs $297 – making Castro the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Castro

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

01:46 1:46 AM

23:46 11:46 PM

2 h behind Castro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

33,417

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.07 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.02 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 993 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.01 USD). 1 EUR = 1,109 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.02 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

USD to CLP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Castro Medellin 5,420 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Castro
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

Castro vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 91% more than Castro, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,286 per month in Castro and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Castro, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $351 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $858 in Castro and $1,639 in Medellin. That makes Castro about 48% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 28% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $858 in Castro and $1,639 in Medellin. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $858 in Castro to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Castro. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.