Cost of Living Comparison Between Chalcis and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Chalcis and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,530 in Chalcis versus $1,034 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,203 in Chalcis versus $1,577 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,876 in Chalcis versus $2,120 in Medellin.

Living in Chalcis is roughly 48% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chalcis is 14% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.26 €11.33

$5.92 COP 21.5K

123.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.44 €42.22

$32.75 COP 119.1K

50.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.21 €7.87

$7.20 COP 26.2K

27.92%

Cappuccino

$4.12 €3.52

$1.70 COP 6,186

142.35%

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

$1.64 €1.40

$1.10 COP 3,996

49.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.60 €0.51

$0.72 COP 2,625

-16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.27 €2.79

$1.67 COP 6,067

95.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.15 €3.54

$3.10 COP 11.3K

33.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.54 €1.31

$1.06 COP 3,837

45.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 €1.39

$1.25 COP 4,531

30.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 €1.76

$1.39 COP 5,060

48.20%

Eggs

$4.18 €3.57

$2.26 COP 8,229

84.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.59 €11.60

$4.33 COP 15.8K

213.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.03 €8.56

$5.84 COP 21.2K

71.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.08 €11.17

$8.83 COP 32.1K

48.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.06 €1.76

$2.24 COP 8,159

-8.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.87 €1.60

$1.08 COP 3,911

73.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.07 €0.92

$1.53 COP 5,563

-30.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 €1.69

$1.37 COP 4,987

44.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 €0.96

$1.13 COP 4,109

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 €1.09

$1.12 COP 4,067

14.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 €0.89

$0.85 COP 3,080

22.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 €0.41

$0.91 COP 3,305

-47.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.87 €4.16

$2.33 COP 8,477

109.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.56 €5.60

$11.13 COP 40.5K

-41.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.35

$1.19 COP 4,342

32.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 €2.07

$2.37 COP 8,617

2.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.43 €1.22

$0.79 COP 2,859

81.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.66 €39.84

$41.13 COP 149.6K

13.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.76 €4.07

$1.44 COP 5,223

230.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 €0.90

$1.91 COP 6,952

-45.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.56 €11.58

$8.02 COP 29.2K

69.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.17 €1.86

$0.94 COP 3,410

130.85%

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

$34.8K €29.7K

$17.9K COP 65.2M

94.05%

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

$29.9K €25.6K

$26.8K COP 97.4M

11.68%

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

$287 €245

$84.0 COP 305.4K

241.81%

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

$24.15 €20.62

$9.60 COP 34.9K

151.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.82 €26.32

$24.16 COP 87.9K

27.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.6 €59.5

$25.88 COP 94.1K

169.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 69.3K

Cinema Ticket

$9.81 €8.38

$3.92 COP 14.2K

150.26%

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

$289 €247

$306 COP 1.1M

-5.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,455 €4,659

$5,919 COP 21.5M

-7.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 €94.0

$57.9 COP 210.6K

89.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.80 €33.13

$31.82 COP 115.7K

21.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €86.0

$99.9 COP 363.3K

0.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.4 €81.5

$107 COP 389.7K

-10.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$521 €445

$487 COP 1.8M

7.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$383 €327

$368 COP 1.3M

4.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$790 €675

$826 COP 3.0M

-4.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$590 €504

$716 COP 2.6M

-17.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,623 €2,240

$2,925 COP 10.6M

-10.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,128 €1,818

$1,407 COP 5.1M

51.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,090 €931

$546 COP 2.0M

99.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.34

13.43

-67.68%

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

Last update for Chalcis: April 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $521 in Chalcis and $487 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chalcis pays 100% 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: $49.00 in Chalcis vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $264 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

Chalcis vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 48% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Chalcis pays 100% 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: $521 in Chalcis versus $487 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Chalcis. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $49.00 in Chalcis. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,034 in Medellin versus $1,530 in Chalcis, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Chalcis. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Medellin is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Chalcis, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Chalcis 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 48% less than in Chalcis. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.