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: $2,189 in Chilliwack versus $1,031 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,259 in Chilliwack versus $1,599 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,329 in Chilliwack versus $2,167 in Medellin.

Living in Chilliwack is roughly 112% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chilliwack is 64% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.02 CA$21.06

$6.16 COP 20.1K

143.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.6 CA$102

$32.60 COP 106.1K

122.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.40 CA$13.17

$7.34 COP 23.9K

28.07%

Cappuccino

$3.94 CA$5.52

$1.72 COP 5,600

129.07%

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

$2.22 CA$3.12

$1.05 COP 3,420

111.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 CA$2.39

$0.77 COP 2,515

120.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.96 CA$8.35

$1.69 COP 5,488

252.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 CA$6.03

$3.17 COP 10.3K

35.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.20 CA$3.09

$1.05 COP 3,423

109.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.81 CA$3.95

$1.30 COP 4,236

116.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.65 CA$3.72

$1.40 COP 4,544

89.29%

Eggs

$3.68 CA$5.16

$2.16 COP 7,047

70.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.55 CA$17.59

$4.39 COP 14.3K

185.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.86 CA$16.63

$5.88 COP 19.1K

101.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.01 CA$18.23

$8.64 COP 28.1K

50.58%

Apples (1kg)

$4.40 CA$6.17

$2.28 COP 7,426

92.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 CA$1.93

$1.11 COP 3,604

24.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.04 CA$5.67

$1.53 COP 4,983

164.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.99 CA$6.99

$1.35 COP 4,410

269.63%

Potato (1kg)

$4.20 CA$5.89

$1.13 COP 3,674

271.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.96 CA$4.14

$1.13 COP 3,692

161.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.58 CA$3.62

$0.85 COP 2,753

203.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 CA$2.65

$0.91 COP 2,975

107.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.76 CA$22.09

$2.34 COP 7,630

573.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.71 CA$17.81

$12.37 COP 40.3K

2.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.12 CA$4.37

$1.20 COP 3,909

160.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 CA$5.14

$2.49 COP 8,104

46.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 CA$2.75

$0.84 COP 2,728

133.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.88 CA$48.90

$40.57 COP 132.1K

-14.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 CA$4.24

$1.42 COP 4,623

113.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.27 CA$3.18

$1.92 COP 6,235

18.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.61 CA$35.90

$7.66 COP 24.9K

234.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 CA$1.74

$0.99 COP 3,223

25.25%

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

$25.4K CA$35.7K

$18.0K COP 58.7M

41.13%

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

$20.1K CA$28.2K

$26.6K COP 86.7M

-24.46%

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

$117 CA$165

$80.8 COP 263.1K

45.27%

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

$45.10 CA$63.2

$9.95 COP 32.4K

353.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 CA$84.9

$24.18 COP 78.7K

150.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.14 CA$53.5

$25.08 COP 81.7K

52.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.30 CA$25.66

$19.15 COP 62.3K

-4.44%

Cinema Ticket

$11.95 CA$16.75

$3.98 COP 13.0K

200.25%

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

$530 CA$743

$305 COP 993.5K

73.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K CA$24.6K

$6,059 COP 19.7M

190.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.5 CA$84.8

$58.1 COP 189.2K

4.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.30 CA$49.48

$32.20 COP 104.8K

9.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.3 CA$136

$101 COP 327.9K

-3.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 CA$161

$108 COP 350.8K

6.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,179 CA$1,654

$477 COP 1.6M

147.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,081 CA$1,516

$376 COP 1.2M

187.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,903 CA$2,668

$845 COP 2.7M

125.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,731 CA$2,426

$730 COP 2.4M

136.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,257 CA$4,567

$3,215 COP 10.5M

1.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,246 CA$4,551

$1,372 COP 4.5M

136.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,123 CA$4,378

$617 COP 2.0M

406.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.65

13.43

-57.93%

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

Last update for Chilliwack: July 14, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,179 in Chilliwack and $477 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chilliwack pays 406% 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: $73.0 in Chilliwack vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $383 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

Chilliwack vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 112% 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 406% 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: $1,179 in Chilliwack versus $477 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $530 in Chilliwack versus $305 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 98% higher in Chilliwack. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,031 in Medellin versus $2,189 in Chilliwack, a $1,500 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 $1,031 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 112% less than in Chilliwack. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.