Cost of Living Comparison Between Cham and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Cham and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,510 in Cham versus $1,030 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,437 in Cham versus $1,586 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,364 in Cham versus $2,143 in Medellin.

Living in Cham is roughly 241% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cham is 162% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.40 CHF 23.83

$5.92 COP 21.2K

413.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$151 CHF 118

$33.17 COP 118.7K

354.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.86 CHF 15.57

$7.25 COP 25.9K

173.93%

Cappuccino

$6.84 CHF 5.36

$1.71 COP 6,137

300.00%

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

$5.57 CHF 4.37

$1.09 COP 3,915

411.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.22 CHF 4.09

$0.77 COP 2,743

577.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.09 CHF 7.91

$1.75 COP 6,254

476.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.45 CHF 5.84

$3.18 COP 11.4K

134.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.74

$1.06 COP 3,792

109.43%

White Bread (500g)

$3.26 CHF 2.56

$1.30 COP 4,657

150.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.08 CHF 3.20

$1.38 COP 4,926

195.65%

Eggs

$7.22 CHF 5.66

$2.21 COP 7,908

226.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.15 CHF 22.07

$4.52 COP 16.2K

522.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$33.89 CHF 26.57

$5.80 COP 20.7K

484.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.75 CHF 35.08

$8.97 COP 32.1K

398.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.82 CHF 2.99

$2.29 COP 8,182

66.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.65 CHF 2.08

$1.06 COP 3,791

150.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 CHF 2.36

$1.51 COP 5,411

100.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.23 CHF 4.10

$1.36 COP 4,869

284.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.73 CHF 2.14

$1.16 COP 4,146

135.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 CHF 1.78

$1.17 COP 4,174

94.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 CHF 1.95

$0.83 COP 2,960

200.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 CHF 1.22

$0.85 COP 3,043

83.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.94 CHF 8.58

$2.35 COP 8,423

365.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.44 CHF 12.10

$11.09 COP 39.7K

39.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 CHF 1.93

$1.15 COP 4,133

113.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 CHF 2.37

$2.47 COP 8,853

22.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.82 CHF 2.99

$0.79 COP 2,827

383.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.6 CHF 77.3

$41.85 COP 149.8K

135.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.57 CHF 5.94

$1.44 COP 5,140

425.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.11 CHF 3.22

$1.90 COP 6,793

116.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$87.2 CHF 68.3

$7.70 COP 27.6K

1031.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.34 CHF 1.84

$1.03 COP 3,680

127.18%

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

$39.6K CHF 31.1K

$17.7K COP 63.3M

124.15%

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

$38.7K CHF 30.4K

$27.0K COP 96.7M

43.30%

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

$258 CHF 202

$81.4 COP 291.4K

216.42%

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

$36.19 CHF 28.37

$9.42 COP 33.7K

284.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.4 CHF 46.55

$23.77 COP 85.1K

149.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.5 CHF 69.4

$25.86 COP 92.6K

242.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.34 COP 69.2K

Cinema Ticket

$22.34 CHF 17.52

$4.05 COP 14.5K

451.60%

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

$2,563 CHF 2,009

$312 COP 1.1M

720.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.6K CHF 27.2K

$6,067 COP 21.7M

470.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$132 CHF 104

$58.9 COP 210.7K

124.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.4 CHF 48.12

$32.82 COP 117.5K

87.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$148 CHF 116

$100 COP 359.6K

47.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$199 CHF 156

$106 COP 380.3K

87.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,671 CHF 1,310

$490 COP 1.8M

241.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,459 CHF 1,144

$371 COP 1.3M

293.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,857 CHF 2,240

$838 COP 3.0M

240.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,503 CHF 1,962

$715 COP 2.6M

250.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.1K CHF 9,524

$2,952 COP 10.6M

311.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.0K CHF 9,428

$1,394 COP 5.0M

762.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$532 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.09

13.43

-84.44%

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

Last update for Cham: April 22, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,671 in Cham and $490 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $151 in Cham vs $33 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $652 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

Cham vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 241% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $5,266 in Cham and $1,544 in Medellin to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,671 in Cham versus $490 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,563 in Cham versus $312 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 243% higher in Cham. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,030 in Medellin versus $3,510 in Cham, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Cham. 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 Cham, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cham 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 241% less than in Cham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.