Cost of Living Comparison Between Chilanga and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Chilanga and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $623 in Chilanga versus $1,716 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $989 in Chilanga versus $2,527 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,355 in Chilanga versus $3,338 in Medellin.

Living in Chilanga costs roughly 64% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chilanga is 55% below, Medellin is 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.68 ZMW 109

$8.03 COP 25.2K

-29.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.47 ZMW 601

$48.26 COP 151.7K

-34.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.41 ZMW 103

$9.77 COP 30.7K

-44.63%

Cappuccino

$2.92 ZMW 55.7

$2.91 COP 9,149

0.34%

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

$0.79 ZMW 15.18

$1.94 COP 6,110

-59.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.52 ZMW 9.87

$1.52 COP 4,783

-65.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.34 ZMW 25.58

$3.09 COP 9,721

-56.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 ZMW 44.58

$5.74 COP 18.1K

-59.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.75 ZMW 33.33

$1.36 COP 4,287

28.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.27 ZMW 24.23

$2.39 COP 7,505

-46.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 ZMW 41.81

$1.70 COP 5,346

28.82%

Eggs

$2.02 ZMW 38.53

$2.87 COP 9,021

-29.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.60 ZMW 203

$9.94 COP 31.2K

6.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.33 ZMW 121

$10.78 COP 33.9K

-41.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.82 ZMW 130

$14.73 COP 46.3K

-53.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.95 ZMW 75.4

$4.09 COP 12.8K

-3.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.55 ZMW 48.78

$1.57 COP 4,940

62.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.95 ZMW 75.5

$2.13 COP 6,682

85.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.63 ZMW 31.11

$2.21 COP 6,959

-26.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.73 ZMW 52.1

$2.05 COP 6,435

33.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 ZMW 40.03

$1.50 COP 4,728

40.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 ZMW 21.94

$1.19 COP 3,740

-3.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 ZMW 14.60

$1.16 COP 3,640

-34.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.12 ZMW 59.5

$3.90 COP 12.2K

-20.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 ZMW 203

$14.44 COP 45.4K

-26.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.55 ZMW 29.63

$1.58 COP 4,978

-1.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 ZMW 47.40

$2.83 COP 8,889

-12.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,672

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 244.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.61 ZMW 49.88

$1.28 COP 4,038

103.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 ZMW 27.34

$2.09 COP 6,576

-31.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.37 ZMW 103

$8.62 COP 27.1K

-37.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.63 ZMW 31.04

$1.30 COP 4,080

25.38%

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

$7,864 ZMW 150.2K

$27.7K COP 86.9M

-71.57%

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

$33.9K ZMW 647.2K

$35.5K COP 111.6M

-4.57%

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

$84.1 ZMW 1,605

$176 COP 553.4K

-52.26%

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

$10.88 ZMW 208

$13.37 COP 42.0K

-18.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.5 ZMW 1,097

$29.89 COP 94.0K

92.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 140.7K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.6K

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 ZMW 120

$6.20 COP 19.5K

1.29%

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

$142 ZMW 2,721

$793 COP 2.5M

-82.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K ZMW 315.3K

$9,019 COP 28.4M

83.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.60 ZMW 489

$85.6 COP 269.1K

-70.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.43 ZMW 295

$58.5 COP 183.8K

-73.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$45.59 ZMW 871

$136 COP 428.4K

-66.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$77.3 ZMW 1,476

$103 COP 324.1K

-25.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

165.08%

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

Last update for Chilanga: August 29, 2026

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $31.00 in Chilanga vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $303 per month, with Chilanga 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

Chilanga vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chilanga and Medellin differ by about 175% in total monthly costs ($623 vs $1,716 including rent). Chilanga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $934 in Chilanga and $2,574 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.

Childcare runs $142 in Chilanga versus $793 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Chilanga – a meal for two runs $31.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $623 in Chilanga versus $1,716 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Chilanga but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Chilanga the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Chilanga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 175% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.