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: $3,443 in Cham versus $1,017 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,403 in Cham versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,363 in Cham versus $2,188 in Medellin.

Living in Cham is roughly 239% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cham is 156% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.00 CHF 24.78

$5.95 COP 21.2K

421.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$149 CHF 119

$33.33 COP 118.9K

347.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.08 CHF 16.05

$7.23 COP 25.8K

177.73%

Cappuccino

$6.92 CHF 5.53

$1.63 COP 5,811

324.54%

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

$5.69 CHF 4.55

$1.09 COP 3,904

422.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.09 CHF 4.07

$0.73 COP 2,604

597.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.60 CHF 7.67

$1.74 COP 6,197

451.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.30 CHF 5.84

$3.23 COP 11.5K

126.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.26 CHF 1.80

$1.05 COP 3,742

115.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.36 CHF 2.69

$1.29 COP 4,614

160.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.11 CHF 3.29

$1.32 COP 4,718

211.36%

Eggs

$7.30 CHF 5.84

$2.27 COP 8,101

221.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.12 CHF 22.48

$4.35 COP 15.5K

546.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$32.90 CHF 26.30

$5.88 COP 21.0K

459.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.82 CHF 35.83

$8.61 COP 30.7K

420.56%

Apples (1kg)

$3.91 CHF 3.12

$2.25 COP 8,015

73.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.76 CHF 2.20

$1.07 COP 3,814

157.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.11 CHF 2.48

$1.52 COP 5,438

104.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.07 CHF 4.06

$1.42 COP 5,073

257.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 CHF 2.23

$1.17 COP 4,173

138.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 CHF 1.80

$1.17 COP 4,166

93.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 CHF 2.00

$0.89 COP 3,163

182.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 CHF 1.20

$0.90 COP 3,215

66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.88 CHF 8.69

$2.25 COP 8,008

383.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.60 CHF 10.87

$11.04 COP 39.4K

23.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 CHF 1.86

$1.14 COP 4,063

104.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 CHF 2.41

$2.38 COP 8,483

26.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.95 CHF 3.15

$0.84 COP 2,979

370.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.1 CHF 79.2

$41.95 COP 149.6K

136.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.68 CHF 6.14

$1.41 COP 5,019

444.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.35 CHF 3.47

$1.90 COP 6,779

128.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$85.0 CHF 67.9

$7.75 COP 27.6K

996.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.30 CHF 1.84

$1.01 COP 3,586

127.72%

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

$40.6K CHF 32.4K

$17.6K COP 62.7M

130.86%

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

$38.7K CHF 31.0K

$26.5K COP 94.5M

46.19%

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

$254 CHF 203

$83.7 COP 298.4K

203.86%

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

$36.17 CHF 28.91

$9.45 COP 33.7K

282.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.8 CHF 47.00

$24.11 COP 86.0K

143.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$89.3 CHF 71.3

$25.31 COP 90.3K

252.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 68.3K

Cinema Ticket

$22.72 CHF 18.16

$4.10 COP 14.6K

454.15%

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

$2,568 CHF 2,053

$312 COP 1.1M

723.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.2K CHF 27.3K

$5,993 COP 21.4M

470.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$132 CHF 106

$58.0 COP 207.0K

127.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.5 CHF 49.95

$32.56 COP 116.1K

91.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$149 CHF 119

$99.6 COP 355.3K

49.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$201 CHF 160

$109 COP 387.1K

84.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,674 CHF 1,338

$482 COP 1.7M

247.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,451 CHF 1,160

$379 COP 1.4M

282.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,848 CHF 2,277

$837 COP 3.0M

240.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,461 CHF 1,967

$723 COP 2.6M

240.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$14.9K CHF 11.9K

$2,840 COP 10.1M

424.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K CHF 9,482

$1,223 COP 4.4M

869.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,674 in Cham and $482 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $149 in Cham vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $645 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 239% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $5,164 in Cham and $1,525 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: $1,674 in Cham versus $482 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,568 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 240% higher in Cham. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,017 in Medellin versus $3,443 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 239% less than in Cham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.