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: $3,622 in Cham versus $1,641 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,410 in Cham versus $2,447 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,198 in Cham versus $3,253 in Medellin.

Living in Cham is roughly 121% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cham 163% above, Medellin 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$31.40 CHF 25.63

$8.04 COP 24.8K

290.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$126 CHF 103

$48.29 COP 148.6K

160.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.26 CHF 14.91

$9.42 COP 29.0K

93.84%

Cappuccino

$6.05 CHF 4.94

$2.94 COP 9,040

105.78%

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

$5.68 CHF 4.63

$1.86 COP 5,735

205.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.79 CHF 3.91

$1.46 COP 4,479

228.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.40 CHF 6.86

$3.21 COP 9,882

161.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 CHF 5.57

$5.71 COP 17.6K

19.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.81

$1.44 COP 4,428

54.17%

White Bread (500g)

$4.05 CHF 3.30

$2.40 COP 7,389

68.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.83 CHF 3.13

$1.70 COP 5,228

125.29%

Eggs

$7.36 CHF 6.01

$2.89 COP 8,896

154.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$27.93 CHF 22.79

$10.06 COP 30.9K

177.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$27.68 CHF 22.59

$9.97 COP 30.7K

177.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$43.42 CHF 35.44

$14.20 COP 43.7K

205.77%

Apples (1kg)

$4.12 CHF 3.36

$3.98 COP 12.3K

3.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 CHF 1.86

$1.58 COP 4,878

44.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.30 CHF 2.70

$2.15 COP 6,624

53.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.72 CHF 3.85

$2.30 COP 7,078

105.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.52 CHF 2.06

$2.00 COP 6,169

26.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.27 CHF 1.85

$1.51 COP 4,646

50.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 CHF 2.09

$1.20 COP 3,701

113.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 CHF 0.98

$1.28 COP 3,946

-6.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.20 CHF 9.14

$3.84 COP 11.8K

191.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.61 CHF 11.11

$14.01 COP 43.1K

-2.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 CHF 2.34

$1.71 COP 5,256

67.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 CHF 2.62

$2.74 COP 8,440

16.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.00 CHF 4.08

$1.25 COP 3,834

300.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$152 CHF 124

$77.9 COP 239.7K

94.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.61 CHF 4.58

$1.31 COP 4,016

328.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.47 CHF 2.83

$2.17 COP 6,680

59.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.9 CHF 50.5

$8.29 COP 25.5K

646.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 CHF 1.86

$1.36 COP 4,172

67.65%

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

$40.6K CHF 33.2K

$27.5K COP 84.5M

47.96%

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

$39.9K CHF 32.6K

$36.5K COP 112.4M

9.29%

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

$288 CHF 235

$169 COP 519.2K

70.59%

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

$32.30 CHF 26.36

$13.57 COP 41.8K

138.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.2 CHF 46.65

$28.32 COP 87.2K

101.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$92.4 CHF 75.4

$45.71 COP 140.7K

102.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$42.34 CHF 34.56

$17.22 COP 53.0K

145.88%

Cinema Ticket

$25.03 CHF 20.43

$6.65 COP 20.5K

276.39%

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

$1,818 CHF 1,484

$803 COP 2.5M

126.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.0K CHF 27.8K

$9,190 COP 28.3M

270.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$148 CHF 121

$87.4 COP 268.8K

69.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.7 CHF 49.56

$59.4 COP 182.7K

2.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$167 CHF 136

$139 COP 427.5K

20.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$261 CHF 213

$102 COP 314.0K

156.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,732 CHF 1,413

$1,071 COP 3.3M

61.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,469 CHF 1,199

$653 COP 2.0M

124.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,875 CHF 2,346

$1,925 COP 5.9M

49.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,682 CHF 2,189

$1,048 COP 3.2M

155.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$17.9K CHF 14.6K

$4,123 COP 12.7M

334.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$13.6K CHF 11.1K

$1,697 COP 5.2M

699.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.07

10.94

-81.08%

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

Last update for Cham: September 7, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,732 in Cham and $1,071 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $126 in Cham vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $616 vs $300 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 121% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $5,434 in Cham and $2,462 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: $1,732 in Cham versus $1,071 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,818 in Cham versus $803 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 105% higher in Cham. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,641 in Medellin versus $3,622 in Cham, a $2,500 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 121% less than in Cham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.