Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chelan, WA and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,692 a month against $2,633 in Chelan, WA, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Chelan, WA, United States
Medellin, Colombia
Chelan, WA
🇺🇸 United States
$2,633
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,692
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chelan, WA and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chelan, WA and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,633 per month in Chelan, WA vs $1,692 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Chelan, WA $2,633
  • Medellin $1,692

A couple spends around $3,911 per month in Chelan, WA vs $2,471 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Chelan, WA $3,911
  • Medellin $2,471

A family of three spends $5,189 per month in Chelan, WA vs $3,249 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Chelan, WA $5,189
  • Medellin $3,249

Chelan, WA costs about 56% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Chelan, WA and Medellin sit above the global median – Chelan, WA by 95%, Medellin by 25%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chelan, WA
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$23.61 $23.61
$8.34 COP 27.0K
183.09%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$99.5 $99.5
$46.53 COP 150.9K
113.78%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$15.07 $15.07
$9.47 COP 30.7K
59.13%
Cappuccino
$6.80 $6.80
$3.13 COP 10.2K
117.25%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.11 $3.11
$1.77 COP 5,727
75.71%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.16 $3.16
$1.42 COP 4,619
122.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.18 $8.18
$3.15 COP 10.2K
159.68%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.76 $7.76
$5.70 COP 18.5K
36.14%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chelan, WA
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.03 $1.03
$1.53 COP 4,969
-32.68%
White Bread (500g)
$3.33 $3.33
$2.29 COP 7,429
45.41%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.28 $4.28
$1.94 COP 6,306
120.62%
Eggs
$5.04 $5.04
$3.07 COP 9,942
64.17%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.94 $10.94
$9.99 COP 32.4K
9.51%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.55 $6.55
$10.45 COP 33.9K
-37.32%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.15 $11.15
$13.96 COP 45.3K
-20.13%
Apples (1kg)
$4.48 $4.48
$4.05 COP 13.1K
10.62%
Banana (1kg)
$1.95 $1.95
$1.53 COP 4,956
27.45%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.51 $4.51
$2.10 COP 6,823
114.76%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.49 $4.49
$2.29 COP 7,437
96.07%
Potato (1kg)
$2.13 $2.13
$2.11 COP 6,839
0.95%
Onion (1kg)
$2.15 $2.15
$1.71 COP 5,542
25.73%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.01 $2.01
$1.17 COP 3,794
71.79%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.36 $2.36
$1.58 COP 5,123
49.37%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$8.76 $8.76
$3.91 COP 12.7K
124.04%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.13 $10.13
$14.04 COP 45.5K
-27.85%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.14 $4.14
$1.76 COP 5,712
135.23%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.90 $4.90
$2.71 COP 8,793
80.81%
🚌 Getting Around
Chelan, WA
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.95 $1.95
$1.18 COP 3,825
65.25%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$58.9 $58.9
$76.3 COP 247.4K
-22.82%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.63 $2.63
$1.81 COP 5,859
45.30%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.71 $1.71
$2.13 COP 6,904
-19.72%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$30.25 $30.25
$8.13 COP 26.4K
272.08%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.36 $1.36
$1.28 COP 4,135
6.25%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.6K $34.6K
$34.4K COP 111.7M
0.51%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.7K $25.7K
$34.1K COP 110.7M
-24.57%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chelan, WA
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$253 $253
$178 COP 576.3K
42.59%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$69.4 $69.4
$13.89 COP 45.0K
399.93%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$49.32 $49.32
$30.74 COP 99.7K
60.44%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chelan, WA
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.77 $41.77
$41.94 COP 136.0K
-0.41%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.16 $10.16
$16.80 COP 54.5K
-39.52%
Cinema Ticket
$11.97 $11.97
$7.47 COP 24.2K
60.24%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chelan, WA
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,822 $2,822
$790 COP 2.6M
257.12%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$20.4K $20.4K
$12.3K COP 39.9M
65.51%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chelan, WA
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$39.57 $39.57
$86.3 COP 279.9K
-54.17%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.23 $25.23
$59.3 COP 192.2K
-57.42%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$59.5 $59.5
$138 COP 448.6K
-56.98%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.6 $98.6
$98.8 COP 320.4K
-0.23%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chelan, WA
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,609 $1,609
$1,341 COP 4.3M
19.96%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,267 $1,267
$667 COP 2.2M
89.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,542 $2,542
$1,976 COP 6.4M
28.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,136 $2,136
$1,033 COP 3.3M
106.75%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,649 $2,649
$4,098 COP 13.3M
-35.36%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,619 $2,619
$1,940 COP 6.3M
34.99%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chelan, WA
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,929 $3,929
$646 COP 2.1M
508.03%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6
10.94
-45.16%

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

Last update for Chelan, WA: November 1, 2026

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chelan, WA
$1.3K
Medellin
$667 47.4% $600
Eating Out
Chelan, WA
$397
Medellin
$173 56.5% $225
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chelan, WA
$372
Medellin
$222 40.3% $150
Groceries & Markets
Chelan, WA
$352
Medellin
$307 12.8% $45
Clothing & Footwear
Chelan, WA
$100
Medellin
$172 71.7% $72
Getting Around
Chelan, WA
$78
Medellin
$93 20.1% $16
Sport & Entertainment
Chelan, WA
$66
Medellin
$57 13.4% $8.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,609 in Chelan, WA versus $1,341 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Chelan, WA are about 6.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $99 in Chelan, WA versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $307 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Chelan, WA
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
09:49 9:49 AM
12:49 12:49 PM
3 h ahead of Chelan, WA
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
4,200
2,486,723
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,242 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,635 COP (10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chelan, WA Medellin 6,240 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Chelan, WA
  • Medellin

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Chelan, WA vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Chelan, WA or Medellin?
Chelan, WA costs about 56% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Chelan, WA and in Medellin?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,950 per month in Chelan, WA and $2,538 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Chelan, WA or Medellin?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,341 there versus $1,609 in Chelan, WA.
How do dining costs compare in Chelan, WA and in Medellin?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $99 in Chelan, WA and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Chelan, WA compared to Medellin?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,633 in Chelan, WA and $1,692 in Medellin. That makes Medellin about 36% cheaper.
Can you live on $2,500/month in Chelan, WA or in Medellin?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,692, than in Chelan, WA at $2,633. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chelan, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Medellin – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Should I move to Chelan, WA or to Medellin?
If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chelan, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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