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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,621 per month in Chartres vs $1,030 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,438 per month in Chartres vs $1,586 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,256 per month in Chartres vs $2,143 in Medellin, rent included.

Chartres costs about 57% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Chartres sits 21% above the global median, while Medellin is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.13 €14.61

$5.92 COP 21.2K

189.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.0 €47.78

$33.17 COP 118.7K

68.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.88 €9.28

$7.25 COP 25.9K

50.07%

Cappuccino

$3.15 €2.69

$1.71 COP 6,137

84.21%

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

$2.96 €2.53

$1.09 COP 3,915

171.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 €1.66

$0.77 COP 2,743

151.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.39 €5.45

$1.75 COP 6,254

265.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 €4.95

$3.18 COP 11.4K

82.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 €0.96

$1.06 COP 3,792

6.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.49

$1.30 COP 4,657

34.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.34 €2.00

$1.38 COP 4,926

69.57%

Eggs

$4.05 €3.46

$2.21 COP 7,908

83.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.69 €19.35

$4.52 COP 16.2K

401.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.39 €11.42

$5.80 COP 20.7K

130.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.62 €15.03

$8.97 COP 32.1K

96.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.77 €3.22

$2.29 COP 8,182

64.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.24 €1.91

$1.06 COP 3,791

111.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 €2.03

$1.51 COP 5,411

57.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.19 €2.72

$1.36 COP 4,869

134.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.62

$1.16 COP 4,146

63.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 €1.01

$1.17 COP 4,174

0.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 €0.96

$0.83 COP 2,960

36.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 €0.59

$0.85 COP 3,043

-18.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.50 €9.81

$2.35 COP 8,423

389.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.19 €6.13

$11.09 COP 39.7K

-35.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 €2.06

$1.15 COP 4,133

109.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.31 €3.68

$2.47 COP 8,853

74.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.73 €1.47

$0.79 COP 2,827

118.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.41 €42.15

$41.85 COP 149.8K

18.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.53 €3.86

$1.44 COP 5,140

214.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.83 €1.56

$1.90 COP 6,793

-3.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.06 €27.34

$7.70 COP 27.6K

316.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.75

$1.03 COP 3,680

100.00%

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

$17.2K €14.6K

$17.7K COP 63.3M

-2.92%

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

$25.1K €21.4K

$27.0K COP 96.7M

-7.06%

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

$197 €168

$81.4 COP 291.4K

142.02%

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

$21.77 €18.57

$9.42 COP 33.7K

131.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.83 €25.44

$23.77 COP 85.1K

25.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.10 €24.83

$25.86 COP 92.6K

12.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.54 €15.81

$19.34 COP 69.2K

-4.14%

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 €12.17

$4.05 COP 14.5K

252.10%

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

$573 €489

$312 COP 1.1M

83.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,508 €7,257

$6,067 COP 21.7M

40.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.8 €75.7

$58.9 COP 210.7K

50.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.29 €31.81

$32.82 COP 117.5K

13.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.9 €71.6

$100 COP 359.6K

-16.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.4 €84.0

$106 COP 380.3K

-7.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$781 €666

$490 COP 1.8M

59.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$493 €421

$371 COP 1.3M

33.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$927 €791

$838 COP 3.0M

10.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$803 €685

$715 COP 2.6M

12.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,281 €3,652

$2,952 COP 10.6M

45.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,025 €2,580

$1,394 COP 5.0M

117.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$532 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: April 22, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $781 in Chartres versus $490 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 $56 in Chartres versus $33 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $356 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 57% 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 $2,431 per month in Chartres and $1,544 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 $573 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 87% 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 $1,030, than in Chartres at $1,621. 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 $1,030 versus $1,621 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.