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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,376 per month in Chester vs $1,003 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,461 per month in Chester vs $1,573 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,546 per month in Chester vs $2,143 in Medellin, rent included.

Chester costs about 137% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Chester sits 79% above the global median, while Medellin is 25% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.53 £15.21

$5.91 COP 18.6K

247.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.8 £71.0

$32.96 COP 103.8K

190.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 £7.20

$7.43 COP 23.4K

30.82%

Cappuccino

$4.70 £3.48

$1.65 COP 5,207

184.85%

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

$2.32 £1.72

$1.10 COP 3,468

110.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 £1.50

$0.78 COP 2,458

158.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.42 £4.76

$1.72 COP 5,412

273.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.01 £4.45

$3.18 COP 10.0K

88.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.60 £1.18

$1.10 COP 3,474

45.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.65 £1.22

$1.26 COP 3,962

30.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.23 £1.65

$1.38 COP 4,349

61.59%

Eggs

$3.92 £2.91

$2.18 COP 6,858

79.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.58 £6.36

$4.49 COP 14.1K

91.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.88 £6.58

$5.79 COP 18.2K

53.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.97 £5.91

$8.97 COP 28.2K

-11.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.83 £2.10

$2.32 COP 7,308

21.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 £1.19

$1.06 COP 3,352

50.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.16 £3.09

$1.52 COP 4,774

173.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 £1.75

$1.36 COP 4,270

73.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 £0.99

$1.13 COP 3,552

17.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 £1.02

$1.17 COP 3,689

17.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 £0.94

$0.90 COP 2,838

40.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 £0.96

$0.90 COP 2,823

43.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.18 £14.96

$2.23 COP 7,034

804.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.33 £8.39

$12.12 COP 38.2K

-6.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 £2.29

$1.19 COP 3,743

158.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 £2.10

$2.48 COP 7,815

14.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.98 £2.95

$0.85 COP 2,687

368.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.81 £35.44

$41.62 COP 131.0K

14.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.98 £2.95

$1.42 COP 4,459

180.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 £0.60

$1.95 COP 6,141

-58.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.33 £12.11

$7.89 COP 24.8K

106.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 £1.44

$0.99 COP 3,118

95.96%

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

$38.6K £28.6K

$17.6K COP 55.4M

119.34%

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

$36.5K £27.0K

$26.8K COP 84.4M

36.17%

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

$320 £237

$83.0 COP 261.4K

285.69%

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

$22.93 £16.99

$9.70 COP 30.5K

136.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.16 £31.25

$23.52 COP 74.1K

79.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.62 £28.63

$25.26 COP 79.5K

52.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.52 £10.02

$19.10 COP 60.1K

-29.21%

Cinema Ticket

$13.70 £10.15

$3.95 COP 12.4K

246.84%

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

$1,622 £1,202

$316 COP 994.2K

413.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.6K £10.1K

$5,975 COP 18.8M

127.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.8 £64.4

$60.0 COP 188.9K

44.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.6 £37.52

$31.82 COP 100.2K

59.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 £92.7

$102 COP 320.1K

22.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 £94.9

$107 COP 338.3K

19.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,358 £1,006

$475 COP 1.5M

185.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,090 £808

$374 COP 1.2M

191.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,147 £1,591

$849 COP 2.7M

152.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,721 £1,276

$719 COP 2.3M

139.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 £2,904

$3,265 COP 10.3M

19.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,316 £2,458

$1,441 COP 4.5M

130.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,018 £2,978

$624 COP 2.0M

543.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.6

13.43

-58.30%

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

Last update for Chester: July 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,358 in Chester versus $475 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 run about 543% higher in Chester, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $96.0 in Chester versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $274 vs $193 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chester costs about 137% more than Medellin, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,564 per month in Chester and $1,504 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $1,622 per month in Chester and $316 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 42% more in Chester, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,003, than in Chester at $2,376. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chester it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Medellin costs $1,003 versus $2,376 in Chester. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chester makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.