Cost of Living Comparison Between El Calafate and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between El Calafate and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $953 in El Calafate versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,554 in El Calafate versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,156 in El Calafate versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in El Calafate costs roughly 6% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: El Calafate 29% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.44 ARS 15.0K

$5.99 COP 21.4K

74.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.71 ARS 48.5K

$32.86 COP 117.2K

2.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.11 ARS 13.1K

$7.09 COP 25.3K

28.49%

Cappuccino

$2.74 ARS 3,948

$1.71 COP 6,105

60.23%

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

$1.71 ARS 2,462

$1.10 COP 3,918

55.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 ARS 2,210

$0.78 COP 2,776

97.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.15 ARS 3,096

$1.68 COP 5,987

27.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 ARS 4,238

$3.07 COP 10.9K

-3.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ARS 1,798

$1.09 COP 3,899

14.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 ARS 2,341

$1.26 COP 4,500

29.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 ARS 2,946

$1.38 COP 4,914

48.55%

Eggs

$2.27 ARS 3,264

$2.19 COP 7,813

3.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.21 ARS 14.7K

$4.40 COP 15.7K

132.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.09 ARS 8,764

$5.63 COP 20.1K

8.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.39 ARS 13.5K

$8.89 COP 31.7K

5.62%

Apples (1kg)

$1.97 ARS 2,829

$2.34 COP 8,334

-15.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 ARS 3,000

$1.06 COP 3,771

97.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 ARS 1,883

$1.50 COP 5,365

-12.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.62 ARS 3,762

$1.38 COP 4,915

89.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 ARS 1,695

$1.15 COP 4,104

2.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 ARS 1,789

$1.16 COP 4,148

6.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 ARS 1,890

$0.89 COP 3,176

47.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 ARS 2,080

$0.84 COP 2,992

72.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.08 ARS 4,430

$2.28 COP 8,131

35.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.14 ARS 7,397

$10.64 COP 37.9K

-51.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 ARS 2,982

$1.20 COP 4,276

72.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 ARS 4,565

$2.47 COP 8,809

28.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.78 ARS 1,123

$0.86 COP 3,051

-9.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 ARS 2,217

$1.47 COP 5,255

4.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.88 ARS 1,261

$1.96 COP 6,997

-55.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.16 ARS 8,855

$7.74 COP 27.6K

-20.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ARS 1,568

$0.95 COP 3,403

14.74%

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

$27.6K ARS 39.7M

$18.1K COP 64.6M

52.07%

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

$30.9K ARS 44.4M

$26.5K COP 94.4M

16.51%

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

$67.7 ARS 97.3K

$82.3 COP 293.2K

-17.73%

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

$17.29 ARS 24.9K

$9.50 COP 33.9K

82.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.23 ARS 32.0K

$24.23 COP 86.4K

-8.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.54 ARS 38.2K

$25.89 COP 92.3K

2.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.72 ARS 19.7K

$19.00 COP 67.7K

-27.79%

Cinema Ticket

$6.08 ARS 8,745

$3.93 COP 14.0K

54.71%

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

$217 ARS 312.5K

$309 COP 1.1M

-29.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,719 ARS 3.9M

$5,965 COP 21.3M

-54.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.1 ARS 108.1K

$58.7 COP 209.1K

28.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.6 ARS 101.6K

$32.35 COP 115.3K

118.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ARS 163.0K

$103 COP 365.7K

10.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 ARS 160.2K

$108 COP 386.5K

2.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$336 ARS 482.7K

$476 COP 1.7M

-29.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$238 ARS 342.1K

$379 COP 1.4M

-37.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$686 ARS 987.5K

$838 COP 3.0M

-18.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$538 ARS 774.3K

$724 COP 2.6M

-25.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,864 ARS 2.7M

$2,791 COP 9.9M

-33.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,588 ARS 2.3M

$1,211 COP 4.3M

31.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

58.5

13.43

335.59%

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

Last update for El Calafate: June 1, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $336 in El Calafate and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $34.00 in El Calafate vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $232 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

El Calafate vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

El Calafate and Medellin differ by about 6% in total monthly costs ($953 vs $1,013 including rent). El Calafate is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,429 in El Calafate and $1,519 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $336 in El Calafate versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $217 in El Calafate versus $309 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in El Calafate – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $953 in El Calafate versus $1,013 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in El Calafate but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes El Calafate 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 El Calafate gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.