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: $1,273 in Chaguanas versus $1,031 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,058 in Chaguanas versus $1,599 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,843 in Chaguanas versus $2,167 in Medellin.

Living in Chaguanas is roughly 23% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chaguanas 5% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.29 TTD 49.12

$6.16 COP 20.1K

18.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.1 TTD 607

$32.60 COP 106.1K

176.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.61 TTD 51.3

$7.34 COP 23.9K

3.68%

Cappuccino

$3.02 TTD 20.37

$1.72 COP 5,600

75.58%

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

$1.05 TTD 7.05

$1.05 COP 3,420

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 TTD 5.53

$0.77 COP 2,515

6.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.83 TTD 12.34

$1.69 COP 5,488

8.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 TTD 17.53

$3.17 COP 10.3K

-17.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.55 TTD 17.18

$1.05 COP 3,423

142.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.18 TTD 14.71

$1.30 COP 4,236

67.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 TTD 18.09

$1.40 COP 4,544

91.43%

Eggs

$4.18 TTD 28.20

$2.16 COP 7,047

93.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.79 TTD 52.5

$4.39 COP 14.3K

77.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.38 TTD 63.2

$5.88 COP 19.1K

59.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.25 TTD 82.5

$8.64 COP 28.1K

41.78%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 TTD 30.69

$2.28 COP 7,426

99.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 TTD 17.04

$1.11 COP 3,604

127.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.51 TTD 23.65

$1.53 COP 4,983

129.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.42 TTD 29.76

$1.35 COP 4,410

227.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 TTD 9.66

$1.13 COP 3,674

26.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 TTD 11.22

$1.13 COP 3,692

46.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 TTD 10.07

$0.85 COP 2,753

75.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 TTD 8.33

$0.91 COP 2,975

36.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.53 TTD 30.51

$2.34 COP 7,630

93.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.45 TTD 131

$12.37 COP 40.3K

57.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 TTD 14.83

$1.20 COP 3,909

83.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 TTD 18.19

$2.49 COP 8,104

8.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 TTD 8.33

$0.84 COP 2,728

47.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.01 TTD 6.80

$1.42 COP 4,623

-28.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 TTD 7.29

$1.92 COP 6,235

-43.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.01 TTD 101

$7.66 COP 24.9K

95.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 TTD 6.23

$0.99 COP 3,223

-7.07%

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

$33.3K TTD 224.2K

$18.0K COP 58.7M

84.53%

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

$36.5K TTD 245.7K

$26.6K COP 86.7M

36.91%

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

$81.3 TTD 548

$80.8 COP 263.1K

0.54%

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

$47.00 TTD 317

$9.95 COP 32.4K

372.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.0 TTD 351

$24.18 COP 78.7K

115.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.04 TTD 297

$25.08 COP 81.7K

75.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.05 TTD 203

$19.15 COP 62.3K

56.92%

Cinema Ticket

$9.08 TTD 61.2

$3.98 COP 13.0K

128.14%

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

$315 TTD 2,126

$305 COP 993.5K

3.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,077 TTD 47.7K

$6,059 COP 19.7M

16.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 TTD 369

$58.1 COP 189.2K

-5.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.18 TTD 264

$32.20 COP 104.8K

21.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 TTD 910

$101 COP 327.9K

33.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 TTD 802

$108 COP 350.8K

10.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$435 TTD 2,929

$477 COP 1.6M

-8.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$383 TTD 2,584

$376 COP 1.2M

1.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$618 TTD 4,168

$845 COP 2.7M

-26.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$533 TTD 3,591

$730 COP 2.4M

-27.06%

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)

$792 TTD 5,335

$617 COP 2.0M

28.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.38

13.43

-59.94%

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

Last update for Chaguanas: July 14, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $435 in Chaguanas and $477 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chaguanas pays 28% 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: $90.0 in Chaguanas vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $340 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

Chaguanas vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 23% lower than in Chaguanas. 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 28% 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: $435 in Chaguanas versus $477 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 76% higher in Chaguanas. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,273 per month in Chaguanas versus $1,031 in Medellin – a 23% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,031 in Medellin versus $1,273 in Chaguanas, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Chaguanas. 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 $1,031 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin 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 Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Chaguanas. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.