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: $2,717 in Chester, CA versus $1,017 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,952 in Chester, CA versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,186 in Chester, CA versus $2,188 in Medellin.

Living in Chester, CA is roughly 167% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chester, CA is 102% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.75 $14.75

$5.95 COP 20.8K

147.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.2 $55.2

$33.33 COP 116.3K

65.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.68 $10.68

$7.23 COP 25.2K

47.72%

Cappuccino

$5.38 $5.38

$1.63 COP 5,687

230.06%

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

$2.01 $2.01

$1.09 COP 3,821

84.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 $1.51

$0.73 COP 2,548

106.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.12 $5.12

$1.74 COP 6,065

194.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.61 $6.61

$3.23 COP 11.3K

104.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.05 COP 3,662

11.43%

White Bread (500g)

$4.26 $4.26

$1.29 COP 4,515

230.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.58 $5.58

$1.32 COP 4,617

322.73%

Eggs

$4.43 $4.43

$2.27 COP 7,927

95.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.41 $15.41

$4.35 COP 15.2K

254.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.83 $14.83

$5.88 COP 20.5K

152.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.69 $18.69

$8.61 COP 30.0K

117.07%

Apples (1kg)

$5.27 $5.27

$2.25 COP 7,844

134.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.07 COP 3,733

85.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.14 $4.14

$1.52 COP 5,322

172.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.75 $6.75

$1.42 COP 4,964

375.35%

Potato (1kg)

$3.77 $3.77

$1.17 COP 4,084

222.22%

Onion (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$1.17 COP 4,077

308.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.70 $2.70

$0.89 COP 3,096

203.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.90 COP 3,146

177.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.90 $8.90

$2.25 COP 7,837

295.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.68 $15.68

$11.04 COP 38.5K

42.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.14 COP 3,977

80.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 $2.94

$2.38 COP 8,301

23.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$0.84 COP 2,916

133.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.92 $3.92

$1.41 COP 4,912

178.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.90 COP 6,634

-1.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.73 $27.73

$7.75 COP 27.0K

257.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.01 COP 3,509

3.96%

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

$30.2K $30.2K

$17.6K COP 61.4M

72.01%

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

$28.4K $28.4K

$26.5K COP 92.5M

7.05%

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

$245 $245

$83.7 COP 292.1K

193.21%

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

$60.3 $60.3

$9.45 COP 33.0K

538.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.5 $75.5

$24.11 COP 84.1K

212.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.56 $42.56

$25.31 COP 88.3K

68.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

Cinema Ticket

$14.15 $14.15

$4.10 COP 14.3K

245.12%

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

$1,668 $1,668

$312 COP 1.1M

434.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K $27.9K

$5,993 COP 20.9M

365.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 $58.5

$58.0 COP 202.6K

0.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.2 $63.2

$32.56 COP 113.6K

93.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.4 $94.4

$99.6 COP 347.7K

-5.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 $128

$109 COP 378.8K

17.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 $1,621

$482 COP 1.7M

236.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,338 $1,338

$379 COP 1.3M

252.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,603 $2,603

$837 COP 2.9M

210.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,250 $2,250

$723 COP 2.5M

211.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,970 $2,970

$2,840 COP 9.9M

4.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,076 $2,076

$1,223 COP 4.3M

69.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

13.43

-51.60%

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

Last update for Chester, CA: June 8, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Chester, CA and $482 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $55.0 in Chester, CA vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $469 vs $190 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 167% 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 $4,076 in Chester, CA and $1,525 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: $1,621 in Chester, CA versus $482 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 147% higher in Chester, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,717 per month in Chester, CA versus $1,017 in Medellin – a 167% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,017 in Medellin versus $2,717 in Chester, CA, a $1,500 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 $1,017 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 167% less than in Chester, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.