Cost of Living Comparison Between Chester, CA and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Chester, CA and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,680 in Chester, CA versus $1,641 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,852 in Chester, CA versus $2,447 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,024 in Chester, CA versus $3,253 in Medellin.

Living in Chester, CA is roughly 63% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chester, CA 94% above, Medellin 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.89 $14.89

$8.04 COP 24.8K

85.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.5 $55.5

$48.29 COP 148.6K

14.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$9.42 COP 29.0K

30.79%

Cappuccino

$5.10 $5.10

$2.94 COP 9,040

73.47%

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

$1.97 $1.97

$1.86 COP 5,735

5.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.46 COP 4,479

0.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.11 $5.11

$3.21 COP 9,882

59.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.43 $6.43

$5.71 COP 17.6K

12.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.44 COP 4,428

-13.19%

White Bread (500g)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.40 COP 7,389

74.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.59 $4.59

$1.70 COP 5,228

170.00%

Eggs

$5.68 $5.68

$2.89 COP 8,896

96.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.09 $15.09

$10.06 COP 30.9K

50.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.54 $17.54

$9.97 COP 30.7K

75.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.51 $18.51

$14.20 COP 43.7K

30.35%

Apples (1kg)

$5.02 $5.02

$3.98 COP 12.3K

26.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.58 COP 4,878

22.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.36 $4.36

$2.15 COP 6,624

102.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.30 $6.30

$2.30 COP 7,078

173.91%

Potato (1kg)

$3.66 $3.66

$2.00 COP 6,169

83.00%

Onion (1kg)

$3.32 $3.32

$1.51 COP 4,646

119.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.20 COP 3,701

108.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.28 COP 3,946

113.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.80 $8.80

$3.84 COP 11.8K

129.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.00 $15.00

$14.01 COP 43.1K

7.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.71 COP 5,256

50.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 $3.56

$2.74 COP 8,440

29.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.25 COP 3,834

49.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.03 $4.03

$1.31 COP 4,016

207.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 $1.91

$2.17 COP 6,680

-11.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.15 $25.15

$8.29 COP 25.5K

203.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.36 COP 4,172

-5.15%

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

$37.2K $37.2K

$27.5K COP 84.5M

35.43%

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

$27.3K $27.3K

$36.5K COP 112.4M

-25.24%

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

$249 $249

$169 COP 519.2K

47.80%

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

$60.6 $60.6

$13.57 COP 41.8K

346.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.8 $68.8

$28.32 COP 87.2K

142.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.86 $47.86

$45.71 COP 140.7K

4.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

Cinema Ticket

$17.30 $17.30

$6.65 COP 20.5K

160.15%

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

$1,537 $1,537

$803 COP 2.5M

91.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.6K $19.6K

$9,190 COP 28.3M

113.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.2 $63.2

$87.4 COP 268.8K

-27.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.35 $47.35

$59.4 COP 182.7K

-20.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.4 $91.4

$139 COP 427.5K

-34.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 $131

$102 COP 314.0K

28.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,575 $1,575

$1,071 COP 3.3M

47.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,305 $1,305

$653 COP 2.0M

99.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,524 $2,524

$1,925 COP 5.9M

31.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,115 $2,115

$1,048 COP 3.2M

101.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,593 $2,593

$4,123 COP 12.7M

-37.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,560 $2,560

$1,697 COP 5.2M

50.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.19

10.94

-43.42%

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

Last update for Chester, CA: September 8, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,575 in Chester, CA and $1,071 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $56.0 in Chester, CA vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $480 vs $300 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

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

Chester, CA vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 63% lower than in Chester, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $4,020 in Chester, CA and $2,462 in Medellin to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,575 in Chester, CA versus $1,071 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 60% higher in Chester, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,680 per month in Chester, CA versus $1,641 in Medellin – a 63% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,641 in Medellin versus $2,680 in Chester, CA, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Chester, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,641 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 63% less than in Chester, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.