Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chilliwack and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,625 a month against $2,320 in Chilliwack, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Chilliwack
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,320
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,625
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chilliwack and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chilliwack and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in Chilliwack versus $1,625 in Medellin.

  • Chilliwack $2,320
  • Medellin $1,625

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,412 in Chilliwack versus $2,412 in Medellin.

  • Chilliwack $3,412
  • Medellin $2,412

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,504 in Chilliwack versus $3,199 in Medellin.

  • Chilliwack $4,504
  • Medellin $3,199

Living in Chilliwack is roughly 43% more expensive than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chilliwack 71% above, Medellin 20% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chilliwack
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.02 CA$19.82
$8.30 COP 26.3K
68.92%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$52.6 CA$74.3
$46.91 COP 148.7K
12.09%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.69 CA$12.29
$9.24 COP 29.3K
-5.95%
Cappuccino
$4.41 CA$6.23
$3.05 COP 9,676
44.59%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.95 CA$2.75
$1.80 COP 5,707
8.33%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.49 CA$2.11
$1.38 COP 4,382
7.97%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.95 CA$7.00
$3.24 COP 10.3K
52.78%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.54 CA$7.83
$5.56 COP 17.6K
-0.36%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chilliwack
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.09 CA$2.96
$1.50 COP 4,760
39.33%
White Bread (500g)
$2.98 CA$4.22
$2.37 COP 7,508
25.74%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.46 CA$6.30
$1.70 COP 5,377
162.35%
Eggs
$4.22 CA$5.96
$2.96 COP 9,379
42.57%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$20.66 CA$29.21
$10.22 COP 32.4K
102.15%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.06 CA$19.87
$9.74 COP 30.9K
44.35%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.16 CA$28.51
$13.90 COP 44.1K
45.04%
Apples (1kg)
$5.63 CA$7.97
$4.13 COP 13.1K
36.32%
Banana (1kg)
$1.33 CA$1.88
$1.53 COP 4,839
-13.07%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.14 CA$5.86
$2.22 COP 7,052
86.49%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.43 CA$7.67
$2.27 COP 7,194
139.21%
Potato (1kg)
$4.78 CA$6.76
$1.99 COP 6,311
140.20%
Onion (1kg)
$3.11 CA$4.39
$1.67 COP 5,285
86.23%
Lettuce (1 head)
$3.17 CA$4.49
$1.18 COP 3,742
168.64%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.47 CA$3.49
$1.24 COP 3,919
99.19%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.94 CA$16.87
$3.87 COP 12.3K
208.53%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.04 CA$19.85
$13.78 COP 43.7K
1.89%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.54 CA$6.42
$1.66 COP 5,256
173.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.03 CA$7.11
$2.40 COP 7,615
109.58%
🚌 Getting Around
Chilliwack
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.00 CA$2.83
$1.24 COP 3,944
61.29%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$33.16 CA$46.87
$78.2 COP 248.0K
-57.60%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.95 CA$4.17
$1.28 COP 4,044
130.47%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.33 CA$3.29
$2.15 COP 6,803
8.37%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$8.37 COP 26.5K
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.25 CA$1.76
$1.35 COP 4,288
-7.41%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.2K CA$38.4K
$34.8K COP 110.2M
-21.87%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$19.9K CA$28.1K
$34.7K COP 110.0M
-42.66%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chilliwack
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$166 CA$234
$167 COP 528.4K
-0.56%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$54.4 CA$76.9
$13.62 COP 43.2K
299.56%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$70.1 CA$99.1
$29.12 COP 92.3K
140.66%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chilliwack
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.17 CA$58.2
$45.09 COP 143.0K
-8.69%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.82 CA$25.19
$17.18 COP 54.5K
3.73%
Cinema Ticket
$12.14 CA$17.16
$6.97 COP 22.1K
74.18%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chilliwack
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
-
$790 COP 2.5M
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$11.9K CA$16.8K
$9,041 COP 28.7M
31.57%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chilliwack
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$60.2 CA$85.2
$87.8 COP 278.4K
-31.40%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$31.87 CA$45.05
$58.2 COP 184.4K
-45.19%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$103 CA$145
$139 COP 440.7K
-26.02%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$211 CA$298
$98.9 COP 313.5K
113.07%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chilliwack
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,136 CA$1,605
$1,028 COP 3.3M
10.45%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,004 CA$1,419
$620 COP 2.0M
62.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,042 CA$2,886
$1,881 COP 6.0M
8.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,646 CA$2,326
$1,008 COP 3.2M
63.32%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,321 CA$4,695
$3,988 COP 12.6M
-16.73%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,333 CA$4,711
$1,702 COP 5.4M
95.81%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chilliwack
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,075 CA$4,348
$663 COP 2.1M
363.62%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.71
10.94
-56.95%

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

Last update for Chilliwack: October 19, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chilliwack
$1K
Medellin
$619 38.3% $384
Groceries & Markets
Chilliwack
$482
Medellin
$298 38.2% $184
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chilliwack
$290
Medellin
$209 27.8% $81
Eating Out
Chilliwack
$241
Medellin
$171 29% $70
Clothing & Footwear
Chilliwack
$183
Medellin
$173 5.4% $9.8
Sport & Entertainment
Chilliwack
$65
Medellin
$59 9.8% $6.4
Getting Around
Chilliwack
$56
Medellin
$95 70.8% $39

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,136 in Chilliwack and $1,028 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chilliwack pays 364% 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: $53.0 in Chilliwack vs $47.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $482 vs $298 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Chilliwack
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
20:00 8:00 PM
22:00 10:00 PM
2 h ahead of Chilliwack
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
83,788
2,486,723
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chilliwack Medellin 6,440 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Chilliwack
  • Medellin

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Which city is more expensive, Chilliwack or Medellin?
Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 43% 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.
Are salaries higher in Chilliwack or in Medellin?
Average pay runs 364% higher in Chilliwack, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Chilliwack compared to Medellin?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,136 in Chilliwack versus $1,028 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Chilliwack and in Medellin?
Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $53.0 in Chilliwack. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How expensive is transport in Chilliwack compared to Medellin?
A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 136% less than in Chilliwack. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Can you live on $2,500/month in Chilliwack or in Medellin?
At $1,625 in Medellin versus $2,320 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.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Chilliwack or Medellin?
Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,625 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Chilliwack. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Chilliwack vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?