Cost of Living Comparison Between Chaguanas and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Chaguanas and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,318 in Chaguanas versus $1,716 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,083 in Chaguanas versus $2,527 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,847 in Chaguanas versus $3,338 in Medellin.

Living in Chaguanas costs roughly 23% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chaguanas is 4% below, Medellin is 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.33 TTD 68.8

$8.03 COP 25.2K

28.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.0 TTD 392

$48.26 COP 151.7K

22.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.12 TTD 54.1

$9.77 COP 30.7K

-16.89%

Cappuccino

$3.23 TTD 21.46

$2.91 COP 9,149

11.00%

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

$1.32 TTD 8.76

$1.94 COP 6,110

-31.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 TTD 6.56

$1.52 COP 4,783

-34.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.83 TTD 12.20

$3.09 COP 9,721

-40.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 TTD 16.98

$5.74 COP 18.1K

-55.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.50 TTD 16.64

$1.36 COP 4,287

83.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 TTD 15.03

$2.39 COP 7,505

-5.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 TTD 14.61

$1.70 COP 5,346

28.82%

Eggs

$3.90 TTD 25.94

$2.87 COP 9,021

35.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.42 TTD 49.37

$9.94 COP 31.2K

-25.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 TTD 53.0

$10.78 COP 33.9K

-26.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.79 TTD 78.5

$14.73 COP 46.3K

-19.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.95 TTD 19.61

$4.09 COP 12.8K

-27.87%

Banana (1kg)

$3.06 TTD 20.39

$1.57 COP 4,940

94.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.05 TTD 20.31

$2.13 COP 6,682

43.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.27 TTD 35.06

$2.21 COP 6,959

138.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.48 TTD 16.49

$2.05 COP 6,435

20.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 TTD 14.42

$1.50 COP 4,728

44.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 TTD 12.85

$1.19 COP 3,740

62.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 TTD 8.81

$1.16 COP 3,640

13.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 TTD 19.97

$3.90 COP 12.2K

-23.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.38 TTD 136

$14.44 COP 45.4K

41.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 TTD 12.73

$1.58 COP 4,978

20.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 TTD 16.98

$2.83 COP 8,889

-9.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.72 TTD 4.76

$1.17 COP 3,672

-38.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 244.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.22 TTD 14.77

$1.28 COP 4,038

73.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 TTD 9.07

$2.09 COP 6,576

-34.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.03 TTD 100.0

$8.62 COP 27.1K

74.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 TTD 7.85

$1.30 COP 4,080

-9.23%

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

$34.1K TTD 226.7K

$27.7K COP 86.9M

23.16%

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

$34.0K TTD 226.2K

$35.5K COP 111.6M

-4.26%

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

$102 TTD 680

$176 COP 553.4K

-41.92%

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

$39.11 TTD 260

$13.37 COP 42.0K

192.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.5 TTD 349

$29.89 COP 94.0K

75.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.7 TTD 351

$44.76 COP 140.7K

17.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.39 TTD 295

$17.06 COP 53.6K

160.20%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 TTD 59.2

$6.20 COP 19.5K

43.39%

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

$307 TTD 2,042

$793 COP 2.5M

-61.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.37 TTD 315

$85.6 COP 269.1K

-44.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.59 TTD 283

$58.5 COP 183.8K

-27.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 TTD 687

$136 COP 428.4K

-24.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 TTD 739

$103 COP 324.1K

7.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$468 TTD 3,112

$1,060 COP 3.3M

-55.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 TTD 2,503

$680 COP 2.1M

-44.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$969 TTD 6,445

$2,012 COP 6.3M

-51.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$767 TTD 5,105

$1,169 COP 3.7M

-34.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$792 TTD 5,272

$665 COP 2.1M

19.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-54.30%

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

Last update for Chaguanas: September 1, 2026

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $468 in Chaguanas and $1,060 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chaguanas 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: $59.0 in Chaguanas vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $303 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

Chaguanas vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chaguanas wins on cost – living expenses run 30% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chaguanas the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 19% higher in Chaguanas, 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: $468 in Chaguanas versus $1,060 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,318 per month in Chaguanas versus $1,716 in Medellin – a 30% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,318 in Chaguanas versus $1,716 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chaguanas but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Chaguanas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chaguanas delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,318 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chaguanas hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Chaguanas and Medellin are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Chaguanas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.