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: $2,706 in Chester, CA versus $1,003 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,864 in Chester, CA versus $1,573 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,022 in Chester, CA versus $2,143 in Medellin.

Living in Chester, CA is roughly 170% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chester, CA is 103% above, Medellin is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.82 $14.82

$5.91 COP 18.9K

150.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.0 $56.0

$32.96 COP 105.2K

70.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.62 $10.62

$7.43 COP 23.7K

42.93%

Cappuccino

$5.44 $5.44

$1.65 COP 5,276

229.70%

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

$2.03 $2.03

$1.10 COP 3,514

84.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 $1.47

$0.78 COP 2,491

88.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.93 $4.93

$1.72 COP 5,484

186.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.52 $6.52

$3.18 COP 10.1K

105.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.10 COP 3,521

10.00%

White Bread (500g)

$4.31 $4.31

$1.26 COP 4,015

242.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.42 $5.42

$1.38 COP 4,407

292.75%

Eggs

$4.46 $4.46

$2.18 COP 6,950

104.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.50 $15.50

$4.49 COP 14.3K

245.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.81 $14.81

$5.79 COP 18.5K

155.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.87 $18.87

$8.97 COP 28.6K

110.37%

Apples (1kg)

$5.23 $5.23

$2.32 COP 7,405

125.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.06 COP 3,397

89.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$1.52 COP 4,838

173.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.93 $6.93

$1.36 COP 4,327

409.56%

Potato (1kg)

$3.66 $3.66

$1.13 COP 3,599

223.89%

Onion (1kg)

$4.89 $4.89

$1.17 COP 3,738

317.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.69 $2.69

$0.90 COP 2,876

198.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$0.90 COP 2,861

166.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.19 $9.19

$2.23 COP 7,128

312.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.53 $15.53

$12.12 COP 38.7K

28.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.19 COP 3,793

78.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 $2.97

$2.48 COP 7,920

19.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$0.85 COP 2,723

140.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 132.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.98 $3.98

$1.42 COP 4,518

180.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.95 COP 6,223

-3.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.22 $27.22

$7.89 COP 25.2K

244.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$0.99 COP 3,160

10.10%

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

$30.4K $30.4K

$17.6K COP 56.2M

72.86%

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

$28.0K $28.0K

$26.8K COP 85.5M

4.38%

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

$254 $254

$83.0 COP 264.9K

205.75%

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

$59.9 $59.9

$9.70 COP 30.9K

517.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.6 $74.6

$23.52 COP 75.0K

217.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.12 $43.12

$25.26 COP 80.6K

70.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 COP 60.9K

Cinema Ticket

$14.14 $14.14

$3.95 COP 12.6K

257.97%

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

$1,723 $1,723

$316 COP 1.0M

445.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.5K $27.5K

$5,975 COP 19.1M

360.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.5 $60.5

$60.0 COP 191.4K

0.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.5 $63.5

$31.82 COP 101.5K

99.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.8 $93.8

$102 COP 324.4K

-7.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 $128

$107 COP 342.8K

19.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,572 $1,572

$475 COP 1.5M

230.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,354 $1,354

$374 COP 1.2M

261.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,673 $2,673

$849 COP 2.7M

214.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,219 $2,219

$719 COP 2.3M

208.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,042 $3,042

$3,265 COP 10.4M

-6.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,353 $2,353

$1,441 COP 4.6M

63.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,572 in Chester, CA and $475 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $56.0 in Chester, CA vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $469 vs $193 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 170% 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 $4,059 in Chester, CA and $1,504 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: $1,572 in Chester, CA versus $475 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 143% higher in Chester, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,706 per month in Chester, CA versus $1,003 in Medellin – a 170% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,003 in Medellin versus $2,706 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 $1,003 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 170% less than in Chester, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.