Cost of Living Comparison Between Chapeco and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Chapeco and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $828 in Chapeco versus $1,030 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,304 in Chapeco versus $1,586 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,780 in Chapeco versus $2,143 in Medellin.

Living in Chapeco costs roughly 20% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chapeco 38% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.55 R$27.59

$5.92 COP 21.2K

-6.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.75 R$173

$33.17 COP 118.7K

4.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.36 R$26.66

$7.25 COP 25.9K

-26.07%

Cappuccino

$1.78 R$8.83

$1.71 COP 6,137

4.09%

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

$0.69 R$3.45

$1.09 COP 3,915

-36.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 R$3.45

$0.77 COP 2,743

-10.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.43 R$7.09

$1.75 COP 6,254

-18.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 R$10.82

$3.18 COP 11.4K

-31.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 R$4.61

$1.06 COP 3,792

-12.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 R$5.21

$1.30 COP 4,657

-19.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.23 R$6.11

$1.38 COP 4,926

-10.87%

Eggs

$1.63 R$8.11

$2.21 COP 7,908

-26.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.00 R$39.76

$4.52 COP 16.2K

76.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.31 R$36.34

$5.80 COP 20.7K

26.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.41 R$36.85

$8.97 COP 32.1K

-17.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 R$10.27

$2.29 COP 8,182

-9.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 R$5.28

$1.06 COP 3,791

Oranges (1kg)

$1.20 R$5.96

$1.51 COP 5,411

-20.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.44 R$7.18

$1.36 COP 4,869

5.88%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 R$4.64

$1.16 COP 4,146

-19.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 R$5.44

$1.17 COP 4,174

-6.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.70 R$3.46

$0.83 COP 2,960

-15.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 R$3.29

$0.85 COP 3,043

-22.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 R$11.78

$2.35 COP 8,423

0.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.96 R$49.48

$11.09 COP 39.7K

-10.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 R$6.00

$1.15 COP 4,133

5.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 R$10.04

$2.47 COP 8,853

-18.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.78 R$3.89

$0.79 COP 2,827

-1.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.60 R$192

$41.85 COP 149.8K

-7.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.05 R$5.22

$1.44 COP 5,140

-27.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 R$3.71

$1.90 COP 6,793

-60.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.47 R$32.14

$7.70 COP 27.6K

-15.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 R$5.34

$1.03 COP 3,680

4.85%

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

$21.3K R$105.7K

$17.7K COP 63.3M

20.32%

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

$26.3K R$130.8K

$27.0K COP 96.7M

-2.62%

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

$59.6 R$296

$81.4 COP 291.4K

-26.75%

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

$7.96 R$39.57

$9.42 COP 33.7K

-15.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.66 R$87.8

$23.77 COP 85.1K

-25.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.48 R$117

$25.86 COP 92.6K

-9.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$32.49 R$161

$19.34 COP 69.2K

67.99%

Cinema Ticket

$6.48 R$32.22

$4.05 COP 14.5K

60.00%

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

$273 R$1,359

$312 COP 1.1M

-12.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,540 R$32.5K

$6,067 COP 21.7M

7.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.57 R$246

$58.9 COP 210.7K

-15.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.83 R$208

$32.82 COP 117.5K

27.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.8 R$372

$100 COP 359.6K

-25.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.2 R$324

$106 COP 380.3K

-38.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$283 R$1,405

$490 COP 1.8M

-42.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$255 R$1,268

$371 COP 1.3M

-31.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$559 R$2,779

$838 COP 3.0M

-33.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$459 R$2,282

$715 COP 2.6M

-35.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,705 R$8,476

$2,952 COP 10.6M

-42.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,094 R$5,439

$1,394 COP 5.0M

-21.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$445 R$2,213

$532 COP 1.9M

-16.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.92

13.43

-18.69%

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

Last update for Chapeco: April 21, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $283 in Chapeco and $490 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 19% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $35 in Chapeco vs $33 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $188 vs $190, with Chapeco cheaper for home cooking.

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

Chapeco vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chapeco wins on cost – living expenses run 24% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chapeco the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Medellin earns 19% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $283 in Chapeco versus $490 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Chapeco runs roughly 8% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $273 in Chapeco versus $312 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $828 in Chapeco versus $1,030 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chapeco but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Chapeco the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chapeco delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $828 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chapeco hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Chapeco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.