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: $2,689 in Chester, CA versus $1,034 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,867 in Chester, CA versus $1,577 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,046 in Chester, CA versus $2,120 in Medellin.

Living in Chester, CA is roughly 160% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chester, CA is 101% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.02 $15.02

$5.92 COP 21.5K

153.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.1 $55.1

$32.75 COP 119.1K

68.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.68 $10.68

$7.20 COP 26.2K

48.33%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$1.70 COP 6,186

232.35%

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

$1.99 $1.99

$1.10 COP 3,996

80.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 $1.53

$0.72 COP 2,625

112.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.03 $5.03

$1.67 COP 6,067

201.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.33 $6.33

$3.10 COP 11.3K

104.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.06 COP 3,837

16.04%

White Bread (500g)

$4.41 $4.41

$1.25 COP 4,531

252.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.40 $5.40

$1.39 COP 5,060

288.49%

Eggs

$4.40 $4.40

$2.26 COP 8,229

94.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.56 $15.56

$4.33 COP 15.8K

259.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.21 $15.21

$5.84 COP 21.2K

160.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.85 $18.85

$8.83 COP 32.1K

113.48%

Apples (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$2.24 COP 8,159

143.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.08 COP 3,911

84.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.09 $4.09

$1.53 COP 5,563

167.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.95 $6.95

$1.37 COP 4,987

407.30%

Potato (1kg)

$3.63 $3.63

$1.13 COP 4,109

221.24%

Onion (1kg)

$4.74 $4.74

$1.12 COP 4,067

323.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.68 $2.68

$0.85 COP 3,080

215.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$0.91 COP 3,305

161.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.74 $8.74

$2.33 COP 8,477

275.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.73 $15.73

$11.13 COP 40.5K

41.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.19 COP 4,342

72.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.37 COP 8,617

23.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$0.79 COP 2,859

159.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 149.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 $3.95

$1.44 COP 5,223

174.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.91 COP 6,952

-4.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.46 $27.46

$8.02 COP 29.2K

242.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$0.94 COP 3,410

9.57%

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

$29.6K $29.6K

$17.9K COP 65.2M

65.20%

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

$28.8K $28.8K

$26.8K COP 97.4M

7.51%

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

$250 $250

$84.0 COP 305.4K

198.08%

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

$59.6 $59.6

$9.60 COP 34.9K

520.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.6 $74.6

$24.16 COP 87.9K

208.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.59 $42.59

$25.88 COP 94.1K

64.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 69.3K

Cinema Ticket

$14.21 $14.21

$3.92 COP 14.2K

262.50%

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

$1,715 $1,715

$306 COP 1.1M

459.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.3K $27.3K

$5,919 COP 21.5M

361.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.8 $59.8

$57.9 COP 210.6K

3.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.1 $63.1

$31.82 COP 115.7K

98.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.9 $94.9

$99.9 COP 363.3K

-4.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 $128

$107 COP 389.7K

19.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,611 $1,611

$487 COP 1.8M

230.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,375 $1,375

$368 COP 1.3M

273.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,591 $2,591

$826 COP 3.0M

213.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,222 $2,222

$716 COP 2.6M

210.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,322 $2,322

$2,925 COP 10.6M

-20.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,239 $2,239

$1,407 COP 5.1M

59.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,611 in Chester, CA and $487 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 $473 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 160% 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 $4,033 in Chester, CA and $1,550 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: $1,611 in Chester, CA versus $487 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 149% higher in Chester, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,689 per month in Chester, CA versus $1,034 in Medellin – a 160% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,034 in Medellin versus $2,689 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 $1,034 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 160% less than in Chester, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.