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: $829 in Chapeco versus $1,018 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,292 in Chapeco versus $1,609 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,755 in Chapeco versus $2,200 in Medellin.

Living in Chapeco costs roughly 19% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chapeco 38% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.50 R$27.82

$5.93 COP 19.0K

-7.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.64 R$170

$33.12 COP 106.0K

1.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.28 R$26.68

$7.12 COP 22.8K

-25.84%

Cappuccino

$1.84 R$9.31

$1.71 COP 5,457

7.60%

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

$0.70 R$3.52

$1.05 COP 3,356

-33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.75 R$3.78

$0.72 COP 2,311

4.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.42 R$7.17

$1.72 COP 5,502

-17.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 R$11.06

$3.17 COP 10.2K

-30.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 R$4.66

$1.06 COP 3,408

-13.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 R$5.39

$1.31 COP 4,192

-19.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 R$6.50

$1.33 COP 4,256

-3.76%

Eggs

$1.64 R$8.30

$2.28 COP 7,298

-28.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.18 R$41.36

$4.42 COP 14.1K

85.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.17 R$36.28

$5.92 COP 18.9K

21.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.31 R$36.95

$8.64 COP 27.7K

-15.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 R$10.73

$2.34 COP 7,504

-9.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 R$5.51

$1.10 COP 3,527

-0.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.19 R$6.01

$1.47 COP 4,698

-19.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.45 R$7.35

$1.38 COP 4,415

5.07%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 R$4.73

$1.17 COP 3,754

-20.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.05 R$5.34

$1.17 COP 3,744

-10.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 R$3.78

$0.90 COP 2,890

-16.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 R$3.13

$0.84 COP 2,693

-26.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.37 R$11.97

$2.33 COP 7,449

1.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.67 R$48.89

$11.92 COP 38.1K

-18.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 R$6.38

$1.15 COP 3,673

9.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 R$10.32

$2.42 COP 7,749

-15.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 R$4.24

$0.84 COP 2,687

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.45 R$194

$40.83 COP 130.7K

-5.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.06 R$5.35

$1.41 COP 4,517

-24.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.72 R$3.64

$1.91 COP 6,127

-62.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.57 R$33.23

$7.83 COP 25.0K

-16.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 R$5.60

$0.94 COP 3,020

18.09%

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

$21.7K R$109.7K

$17.8K COP 57.0M

21.75%

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

$26.4K R$133.7K

$27.1K COP 86.7M

-2.38%

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

$60.6 R$307

$83.3 COP 266.4K

-27.19%

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

$8.15 R$41.24

$9.66 COP 30.9K

-15.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.89 R$90.5

$24.22 COP 77.5K

-26.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.55 R$119

$25.22 COP 80.7K

-6.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$32.52 R$165

$19.33 COP 61.9K

68.24%

Cinema Ticket

$6.34 R$32.05

$4.07 COP 13.0K

55.77%

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

$266 R$1,343

$307 COP 981.2K

-13.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,371 R$32.2K

$5,981 COP 19.1M

6.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.54 R$251

$60.0 COP 191.9K

-17.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.75 R$211

$32.65 COP 104.5K

27.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.4 R$381

$101 COP 323.5K

-25.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.4 R$331

$108 COP 345.7K

-39.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$283 R$1,433

$476 COP 1.5M

-40.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$260 R$1,316

$379 COP 1.2M

-31.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$572 R$2,892

$816 COP 2.6M

-29.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$460 R$2,325

$707 COP 2.3M

-35.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,680 R$8,497

$3,190 COP 10.2M

-47.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,074 R$5,432

$1,446 COP 4.6M

-25.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$435 R$2,200

$622 COP 2.0M

-30.04%

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: July 22, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $283 in Chapeco and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 43% 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: $34.00 in Chapeco vs $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $188 vs $192, 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 23% 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, salaries run 43% lower in Medellin. 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 $476 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 6% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $266 in Chapeco versus $307 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $829 in Chapeco versus $1,018 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 $829 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 23% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.