Cost of Living Comparison Between Chartres and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Chartres and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,645 per month in Chartres vs $1,017 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,505 per month in Chartres vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,365 per month in Chartres vs $2,188 in Medellin, rent included.

Chartres costs about 62% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Chartres sits 22% above the global median, while Medellin is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.13 €14.85

$5.95 COP 21.2K

187.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.0 €46.81

$33.33 COP 118.9K

62.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.06 €9.59

$7.23 COP 25.8K

52.97%

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.71

$1.63 COP 5,811

91.41%

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

$2.87 €2.49

$1.09 COP 3,904

163.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.63

$0.73 COP 2,604

157.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.23 €5.40

$1.74 COP 6,197

258.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.73 €4.96

$3.23 COP 11.5K

77.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 €0.98

$1.05 COP 3,742

7.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.72 €1.49

$1.29 COP 4,614

33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 €2.01

$1.32 COP 4,718

75.76%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.45

$2.27 COP 8,101

75.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.16 €19.20

$4.35 COP 15.5K

409.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.31 €11.53

$5.88 COP 21.0K

126.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.58 €15.24

$8.61 COP 30.7K

104.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.75 €3.25

$2.25 COP 8,015

66.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 €1.87

$1.07 COP 3,814

101.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.44 €2.12

$1.52 COP 5,438

60.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.25 €2.81

$1.42 COP 5,073

128.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 €1.64

$1.17 COP 4,173

61.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 €1.04

$1.17 COP 4,166

1.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 €1.03

$0.89 COP 3,163

33.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.65 €0.56

$0.90 COP 3,215

-27.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.75 €10.19

$2.25 COP 8,008

422.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.50 €5.63

$11.04 COP 39.4K

-41.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 €2.02

$1.14 COP 4,063

104.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 €3.88

$2.38 COP 8,483

88.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 €1.49

$0.84 COP 2,979

104.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.63 €43.01

$41.95 COP 149.6K

18.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.50 €3.90

$1.41 COP 5,019

219.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 €1.57

$1.90 COP 6,779

-4.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.76 €27.53

$7.75 COP 27.6K

309.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.80

$1.01 COP 3,586

105.94%

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

$17.3K €15.0K

$17.6K COP 62.7M

-1.37%

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

$25.1K €21.8K

$26.5K COP 94.5M

-5.21%

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

$193 €168

$83.7 COP 298.4K

131.15%

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

$21.61 €18.73

$9.45 COP 33.7K

128.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.85 €25.87

$24.11 COP 86.0K

23.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.29 €24.52

$25.31 COP 90.3K

11.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.10 €15.69

$19.14 COP 68.3K

-5.43%

Cinema Ticket

$14.62 €12.67

$4.10 COP 14.6K

256.59%

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

$572 €496

$312 COP 1.1M

83.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,667 €7,512

$5,993 COP 21.4M

44.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.5 €78.4

$58.0 COP 207.0K

55.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.32 €32.34

$32.56 COP 116.1K

14.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.6 €75.0

$99.6 COP 355.3K

-13.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 €86.7

$109 COP 387.1K

-7.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$788 €683

$482 COP 1.7M

63.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$492 €427

$379 COP 1.4M

29.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$933 €809

$837 COP 3.0M

11.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$826 €716

$723 COP 2.6M

14.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,192 €3,633

$2,840 COP 10.1M

47.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,134 €2,717

$1,223 COP 4.4M

156.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.69

13.43

-72.52%

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

Last update for Chartres: June 9, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $788 in Chartres versus $482 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 $54.0 in Chartres versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $351 vs $190 – 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

Chartres vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chartres costs about 62% more than Medellin, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,468 per month in Chartres and $1,525 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.

Kindergarten costs $572 per month in Chartres and $312 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 85% more in Chartres, 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 $1,017, than in Chartres at $1,645. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chartres it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Medellin costs $1,017 versus $1,645 in Chartres. 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, Chartres makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.