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: $3,528 in Cham versus $1,018 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,360 in Cham versus $1,609 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,192 in Cham versus $2,200 in Medellin.

Living in Cham is roughly 247% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cham is 164% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.86 CHF 25.23

$5.93 COP 19.1K

420.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$147 CHF 121

$33.12 COP 106.6K

344.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.66 CHF 16.08

$7.12 COP 22.9K

176.12%

Cappuccino

$6.74 CHF 5.51

$1.71 COP 5,487

294.15%

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

$5.51 CHF 4.51

$1.05 COP 3,374

424.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.98 CHF 4.07

$0.72 COP 2,324

591.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.05 CHF 8.22

$1.72 COP 5,531

484.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.68 CHF 6.28

$3.17 COP 10.2K

142.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 CHF 1.83

$1.06 COP 3,426

111.32%

White Bread (500g)

$3.33 CHF 2.72

$1.31 COP 4,215

154.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.15 CHF 3.39

$1.33 COP 4,279

212.03%

Eggs

$7.22 CHF 5.91

$2.28 COP 7,338

216.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$28.77 CHF 23.52

$4.42 COP 14.2K

550.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$33.10 CHF 27.07

$5.92 COP 19.0K

459.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$44.54 CHF 36.42

$8.64 COP 27.8K

415.51%

Apples (1kg)

$4.02 CHF 3.29

$2.34 COP 7,545

71.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.72 CHF 2.22

$1.10 COP 3,546

147.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.98 CHF 2.44

$1.47 COP 4,724

102.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.05 CHF 4.13

$1.38 COP 4,439

265.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.87 CHF 2.34

$1.17 COP 3,774

145.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 CHF 1.88

$1.17 COP 3,765

96.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.57 CHF 2.10

$0.90 COP 2,905

185.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 CHF 1.24

$0.84 COP 2,708

80.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.20 CHF 9.16

$2.33 COP 7,490

380.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.01 CHF 10.64

$11.92 COP 38.3K

9.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 CHF 1.94

$1.15 COP 3,693

106.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 CHF 2.59

$2.42 COP 7,791

30.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.88 CHF 3.17

$0.84 COP 2,702

361.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.1 CHF 81.0

$40.83 COP 131.4K

142.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.77 CHF 6.35

$1.41 COP 4,541

451.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.15 CHF 3.40

$1.91 COP 6,160

117.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$86.3 CHF 70.6

$7.83 COP 25.2K

1002.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 CHF 1.84

$0.94 COP 3,037

139.36%

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

$41.1K CHF 33.6K

$17.8K COP 57.3M

130.81%

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

$39.9K CHF 32.6K

$27.1K COP 87.1M

47.25%

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

$255 CHF 209

$83.3 COP 267.9K

206.75%

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

$35.13 CHF 28.73

$9.66 COP 31.1K

263.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.9 CHF 48.16

$24.22 COP 77.9K

143.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$86.2 CHF 70.5

$25.22 COP 81.2K

241.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.33 COP 62.2K

Cinema Ticket

$22.76 CHF 18.61

$4.07 COP 13.1K

459.21%

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

$2,609 CHF 2,133

$307 COP 986.5K

751.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.0K CHF 27.8K

$5,981 COP 19.2M

468.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$132 CHF 108

$60.0 COP 192.9K

119.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.6 CHF 49.57

$32.65 COP 105.1K

85.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$148 CHF 121

$101 COP 325.2K

46.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$204 CHF 167

$108 COP 347.6K

89.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,705 CHF 1,394

$476 COP 1.5M

258.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,469 CHF 1,201

$379 COP 1.2M

287.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,825 CHF 2,310

$816 COP 2.6M

245.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,506 CHF 2,049

$707 COP 2.3M

254.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.9K CHF 13.8K

$3,190 COP 10.3M

429.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$14.1K CHF 11.5K

$1,446 COP 4.7M

872.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$622 COP 2.0M

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,705 in Cham and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $147 in Cham vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $646 vs $192 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 247% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $5,293 in Cham and $1,527 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: $1,705 in Cham versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,609 in Cham versus $307 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 236% higher in Cham. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,018 in Medellin versus $3,528 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 247% less than in Cham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.