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: $969 in El Calafate versus $1,716 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,588 in El Calafate versus $2,527 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,207 in El Calafate versus $3,338 in Medellin.

Living in El Calafate costs roughly 44% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: El Calafate is 30% below, Medellin is 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.49 ARS 15.8K

$8.03 COP 25.2K

30.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.47 ARS 50.5K

$48.26 COP 151.7K

-30.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.23 ARS 13.9K

$9.77 COP 30.7K

-5.53%

Cappuccino

$2.78 ARS 4,186

$2.91 COP 9,149

-4.47%

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

$1.64 ARS 2,472

$1.94 COP 6,110

-15.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 ARS 2,360

$1.52 COP 4,783

2.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.07 ARS 3,127

$3.09 COP 9,721

-33.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 ARS 4,415

$5.74 COP 18.1K

-48.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 ARS 1,957

$1.36 COP 4,287

-4.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ARS 2,361

$2.39 COP 7,505

-34.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 ARS 3,045

$1.70 COP 5,346

18.82%

Eggs

$2.27 ARS 3,421

$2.87 COP 9,021

-20.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.96 ARS 15.0K

$9.94 COP 31.2K

0.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.38 ARS 9,627

$10.78 COP 33.9K

-40.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.11 ARS 13.7K

$14.73 COP 46.3K

-38.15%

Apples (1kg)

$1.95 ARS 2,948

$4.09 COP 12.8K

-52.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.05 ARS 3,087

$1.57 COP 4,940

30.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.26 ARS 1,894

$2.13 COP 6,682

-40.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.57 ARS 3,876

$2.21 COP 6,959

16.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 ARS 1,798

$2.05 COP 6,435

-41.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 ARS 1,816

$1.50 COP 4,728

-20.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 ARS 1,995

$1.19 COP 3,740

10.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 ARS 2,167

$1.16 COP 3,640

24.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.10 ARS 4,671

$3.90 COP 12.2K

-20.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.01 ARS 7,564

$14.44 COP 45.4K

-65.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 ARS 3,028

$1.58 COP 4,978

27.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 ARS 4,611

$2.83 COP 8,889

8.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.78 ARS 1,176

$1.17 COP 3,672

-33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 244.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 ARS 2,223

$1.28 COP 4,038

14.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.92 ARS 1,390

$2.09 COP 6,576

-55.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.90 ARS 8,904

$8.62 COP 27.1K

-31.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 ARS 1,609

$1.30 COP 4,080

-17.69%

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

$27.3K ARS 41.2M

$27.7K COP 86.9M

-1.18%

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

$30.3K ARS 45.7M

$35.5K COP 111.6M

-14.61%

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

$65.8 ARS 99.2K

$176 COP 553.4K

-62.63%

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

$17.07 ARS 25.7K

$13.37 COP 42.0K

27.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.38 ARS 33.8K

$29.89 COP 94.0K

-25.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.00 ARS 39.2K

$44.76 COP 140.7K

-41.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.99 ARS 21.1K

$17.06 COP 53.6K

-18.00%

Cinema Ticket

$6.21 ARS 9,373

$6.20 COP 19.5K

0.16%

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

$216 ARS 325.3K

$793 COP 2.5M

-72.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,691 ARS 4.1M

$9,019 COP 28.4M

-70.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.0 ARS 110.1K

$85.6 COP 269.1K

-14.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.3 ARS 104.5K

$58.5 COP 183.8K

18.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$113 ARS 171.1K

$136 COP 428.4K

-16.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 ARS 169.6K

$103 COP 324.1K

9.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$331 ARS 499.4K

$1,060 COP 3.3M

-68.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$233 ARS 351.0K

$680 COP 2.1M

-65.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$672 ARS 1.0M

$2,012 COP 6.3M

-66.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$540 ARS 814.1K

$1,169 COP 3.7M

-53.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,870 ARS 2.8M

$4,111 COP 12.9M

-54.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,596 ARS 2.4M

$1,701 COP 5.3M

-6.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

58.5

10.94

434.73%

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

Last update for El Calafate: August 30, 2026

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $331 in El Calafate and $1,060 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in El Calafate vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $230 vs $303 per month, with El Calafate 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 77% in total monthly costs ($969 vs $1,716 including rent). El Calafate is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,453 in El Calafate and $2,574 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: $331 in El Calafate versus $1,060 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $216 in El Calafate versus $793 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 $33.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $969 in El Calafate versus $1,716 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 77% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.