Cost of Living Comparison Between Chapala and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Chapala and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,019 per month in Chapala vs $1,013 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,508 per month in Chapala vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,997 per month in Chapala vs $2,192 in Medellin, rent included.

Chapala costs about 1% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Chapala and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – Chapala 24% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.27 MX$143

$5.99 COP 21.4K

38.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.06 MX$590

$32.86 COP 117.2K

3.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.05 MX$122

$7.09 COP 25.3K

-0.56%

Cappuccino

$3.36 MX$58.3

$1.71 COP 6,105

96.49%

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

$2.06 MX$35.65

$1.10 COP 3,918

87.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 MX$17.01

$0.78 COP 2,776

25.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.06 MX$35.63

$1.68 COP 5,987

22.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 MX$55.9

$3.07 COP 10.9K

5.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.59 MX$27.48

$1.09 COP 3,899

45.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 MX$46.73

$1.26 COP 4,500

114.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 MX$27.77

$1.38 COP 4,914

15.94%

Eggs

$2.15 MX$37.19

$2.19 COP 7,813

-1.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.22 MX$143

$4.40 COP 15.7K

86.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.47 MX$129

$5.63 COP 20.1K

32.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.67 MX$133

$8.89 COP 31.7K

-13.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.16 MX$37.41

$2.34 COP 8,334

-7.69%

Banana (1kg)

$0.95 MX$16.48

$1.06 COP 3,771

-10.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.84 MX$14.48

$1.50 COP 5,365

-44.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.40 MX$24.31

$1.38 COP 4,915

1.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 MX$24.45

$1.15 COP 4,104

22.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 MX$17.55

$1.16 COP 4,148

-12.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.95 MX$16.46

$0.89 COP 3,176

6.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 MX$14.47

$0.84 COP 2,992

-1.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.97 MX$68.8

$2.28 COP 8,131

74.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.40 MX$163

$10.64 COP 37.9K

-11.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 MX$24.49

$1.20 COP 4,276

17.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 MX$28.69

$2.47 COP 8,809

-32.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.60 MX$10.48

$0.86 COP 3,051

-30.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.04 MX$18.05

$1.47 COP 5,255

-29.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 MX$25.06

$1.96 COP 6,997

-26.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 MX$55.8

$7.74 COP 27.6K

-58.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 MX$22.15

$0.95 COP 3,403

34.74%

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

$18.3K MX$316.9K

$18.1K COP 64.6M

0.86%

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

$18.3K MX$317.3K

$26.5K COP 94.4M

-30.88%

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

$48.93 MX$848

$82.3 COP 293.2K

-40.51%

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

$17.02 MX$295

$9.50 COP 33.9K

79.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.84 MX$448

$24.23 COP 86.4K

6.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.40 MX$440

$25.89 COP 92.3K

-1.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.67 MX$272

$19.00 COP 67.7K

-17.53%

Cinema Ticket

$4.29 MX$74.3

$3.93 COP 14.0K

9.16%

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

$181 MX$3,133

$309 COP 1.1M

-41.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,597 MX$45.0K

$5,965 COP 21.3M

-56.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.10 MX$747

$58.7 COP 209.1K

-26.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.98 MX$277

$32.35 COP 115.3K

-50.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.6 MX$1,154

$103 COP 365.7K

-35.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$55.1 MX$955

$108 COP 386.5K

-49.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$467 MX$8,085

$476 COP 1.7M

-2.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$419 MX$7,261

$379 COP 1.4M

10.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 MX$14.0K

$838 COP 3.0M

-3.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$631 MX$10.9K

$724 COP 2.6M

-12.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$745 MX$12.9K

$2,791 COP 9.9M

-73.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$737 MX$12.8K

$1,211 COP 4.3M

-39.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.24

13.43

-16.31%

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

Last update for Chapala: May 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $467 in Chapala versus $476 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34.00 in Chapala versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $219 vs $188 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Chapala vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chapala costs about 1% more than Medellin, with the gap driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,529 per month in Chapala and $1,519 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34.00 in Chapala and $33.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 16% more in Chapala, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,013, than in Chapala at $1,019. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chapala it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Medellin costs $1,013 versus $1,019 in Chapala. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chapala makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.