Cost of Living Comparison Between Chilliwack and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Chilliwack and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,191 in Chilliwack versus $1,716 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,261 in Chilliwack versus $2,527 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,332 in Chilliwack versus $3,338 in Medellin.

Living in Chilliwack is roughly 28% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chilliwack 59% above, Medellin 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.26 CA$19.73

$8.03 COP 25.1K

77.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.0 CA$80.2

$48.26 COP 151.0K

20.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.63 CA$13.32

$9.77 COP 30.6K

-1.43%

Cappuccino

$4.43 CA$6.13

$2.91 COP 9,107

52.23%

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

$2.04 CA$2.83

$1.94 COP 6,082

5.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 CA$2.14

$1.52 COP 4,760

1.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.97 CA$8.27

$3.09 COP 9,676

93.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.92 CA$8.18

$5.74 COP 18.0K

3.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 CA$2.83

$1.36 COP 4,267

50.74%

White Bread (500g)

$2.89 CA$4.00

$2.39 COP 7,470

20.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.53 CA$4.88

$1.70 COP 5,321

107.65%

Eggs

$3.18 CA$4.40

$2.87 COP 8,979

10.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.06 CA$19.45

$9.94 COP 31.1K

41.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.05 CA$19.43

$10.78 COP 33.7K

30.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.82 CA$35.72

$14.73 COP 46.1K

75.29%

Apples (1kg)

$4.45 CA$6.15

$4.09 COP 12.8K

8.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.35 CA$1.87

$1.57 COP 4,917

-14.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.18 CA$5.78

$2.13 COP 6,651

96.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.59 CA$7.74

$2.21 COP 6,926

152.94%

Potato (1kg)

$4.26 CA$5.89

$2.05 COP 6,404

107.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.58 CA$3.57

$1.50 COP 4,706

72.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 CA$3.97

$1.19 COP 3,723

141.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 CA$3.44

$1.16 COP 3,623

113.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.43 CA$19.96

$3.90 COP 12.2K

270.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.45 CA$18.61

$14.44 COP 45.2K

-6.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 CA$2.86

$1.58 COP 4,955

30.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 CA$3.32

$2.83 COP 8,847

-15.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 CA$2.76

$1.17 COP 3,655

70.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.36 CA$46.16

$77.7 COP 243.2K

-57.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 CA$4.16

$1.28 COP 4,019

135.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.34 CA$3.23

$2.09 COP 6,546

11.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.77 CA$34.27

$8.62 COP 27.0K

187.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 CA$1.71

$1.30 COP 4,061

-4.62%

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

$28.5K CA$39.5K

$27.7K COP 86.5M

3.21%

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

$19.5K CA$26.9K

$35.5K COP 111.1M

-45.15%

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

$127 CA$176

$176 COP 550.9K

-27.78%

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

$37.48 CA$51.9

$13.37 COP 41.8K

180.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.5 CA$96.2

$29.89 COP 93.5K

132.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.55 CA$57.5

$44.76 COP 140.0K

-7.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.88 CA$24.74

$17.06 COP 53.4K

4.81%

Cinema Ticket

$12.12 CA$16.77

$6.20 COP 19.4K

95.48%

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

$366 CA$507

$793 COP 2.5M

-53.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K CA$16.8K

$9,019 COP 28.2M

34.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.5 CA$75.4

$85.6 COP 267.8K

-36.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.05 CA$48.49

$58.5 COP 182.9K

-40.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.9 CA$115

$136 COP 426.4K

-39.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 CA$143

$103 COP 322.6K

0.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,192 CA$1,649

$1,060 COP 3.3M

12.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,010 CA$1,397

$680 COP 2.1M

48.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,067 CA$2,859

$2,012 COP 6.3M

2.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,672 CA$2,313

$1,169 COP 3.7M

43.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,328 CA$4,604

$4,111 COP 12.9M

-19.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,369 CA$4,662

$1,701 COP 5.3M

98.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,165 CA$4,379

$665 COP 2.1M

375.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.72

10.94

-56.86%

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

Last update for Chilliwack: August 30, 2026

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,192 in Chilliwack and $1,060 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chilliwack pays 376% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $58.0 in Chilliwack vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $442 vs $303 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

Chilliwack vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 28% lower than in Chilliwack. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 376% higher in Chilliwack, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,192 in Chilliwack versus $1,060 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $366 in Chilliwack versus $793 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Chilliwack. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,716 in Medellin versus $2,191 in Chilliwack, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Chilliwack. 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 $1,716 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 28% less than in Chilliwack. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.