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: $2,163 in Chilliwack versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,224 in Chilliwack versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,285 in Chilliwack versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Chilliwack is roughly 114% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Chilliwack is 61% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.80 CA$20.49

$5.99 COP 21.4K

147.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.5 CA$103

$32.86 COP 117.4K

126.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.82 CA$13.59

$7.09 COP 25.3K

38.50%

Cappuccino

$3.99 CA$5.52

$1.71 COP 6,115

133.33%

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

$2.19 CA$3.03

$1.10 COP 3,924

99.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 CA$2.44

$0.78 COP 2,781

125.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.87 CA$8.13

$1.68 COP 5,997

249.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 CA$6.00

$3.07 COP 11.0K

41.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 CA$2.91

$1.09 COP 3,906

92.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.81 CA$3.88

$1.26 COP 4,508

123.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.55 CA$3.53

$1.38 COP 4,922

84.78%

Eggs

$3.80 CA$5.26

$2.19 COP 7,827

73.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 CA$17.74

$4.40 COP 15.7K

191.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.81 CA$16.35

$5.63 COP 20.1K

109.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.24 CA$18.34

$8.89 COP 31.8K

48.93%

Apples (1kg)

$4.26 CA$5.89

$2.34 COP 8,349

82.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 CA$1.84

$1.06 COP 3,777

25.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.04 CA$5.59

$1.50 COP 5,374

169.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.11 CA$7.08

$1.38 COP 4,924

270.29%

Potato (1kg)

$4.29 CA$5.94

$1.15 COP 4,111

273.04%

Onion (1kg)

$3.06 CA$4.24

$1.16 COP 4,155

163.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.74 CA$3.79

$0.89 COP 3,182

207.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 CA$2.54

$0.84 COP 2,997

117.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.62 CA$21.63

$2.28 COP 8,145

585.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.10 CA$18.14

$10.64 COP 38.0K

23.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 CA$4.34

$1.20 COP 4,284

160.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 CA$5.24

$2.47 COP 8,824

53.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 CA$2.74

$0.86 COP 3,056

130.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.10 CA$48.60

$41.40 COP 147.9K

-15.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 CA$4.14

$1.47 COP 5,264

103.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.26 CA$3.13

$1.96 COP 7,009

15.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.15 CA$36.21

$7.74 COP 27.6K

237.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 CA$1.79

$0.95 COP 3,409

35.79%

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

$25.0K CA$34.6K

$18.1K COP 64.7M

37.98%

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

$20.1K CA$27.8K

$26.5K COP 94.6M

-24.10%

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

$119 CA$165

$82.3 COP 293.7K

44.72%

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

$45.90 CA$63.6

$9.50 COP 33.9K

383.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.6 CA$85.3

$24.23 COP 86.5K

154.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.33 CA$54.5

$25.89 COP 92.4K

51.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.30 CA$25.34

$19.00 COP 67.9K

-3.68%

Cinema Ticket

$12.00 CA$16.62

$3.93 COP 14.0K

205.34%

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

$547 CA$758

$309 COP 1.1M

76.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K CA$24.6K

$5,965 COP 21.3M

197.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.6 CA$84.0

$58.7 COP 209.5K

3.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.38 CA$50.4

$32.35 COP 115.5K

12.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.5 CA$134

$103 COP 366.4K

-5.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 CA$161

$108 COP 387.2K

6.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,165 CA$1,613

$476 COP 1.7M

144.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,092 CA$1,512

$379 COP 1.4M

188.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,914 CA$2,651

$838 COP 3.0M

128.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,718 CA$2,378

$724 COP 2.6M

137.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,354 CA$4,644

$2,791 COP 10.0M

20.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,279 CA$4,540

$1,211 COP 4.3M

170.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,222 CA$4,461

$512 COP 1.8M

529.58%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,165 in Chilliwack and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chilliwack pays 530% 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: $75.0 in Chilliwack vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $384 vs $188 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 114% 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.

Chilliwack pays 530% more on average, 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: $1,165 in Chilliwack versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $547 in Chilliwack versus $309 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 104% higher in Chilliwack. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $2,163 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 $1,013 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 114% less than in Chilliwack. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.