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: $955 in El Calafate versus $1,031 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,592 in El Calafate versus $1,599 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,228 in El Calafate versus $2,167 in Medellin.

Living in El Calafate costs roughly 7% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: El Calafate 28% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.37 ARS 15.3K

$6.16 COP 20.1K

68.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.18 ARS 49.0K

$32.60 COP 106.1K

1.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.22 ARS 13.6K

$7.34 COP 23.9K

25.61%

Cappuccino

$2.76 ARS 4,085

$1.72 COP 5,600

60.47%

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

$1.72 ARS 2,547

$1.05 COP 3,420

63.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 ARS 2,296

$0.77 COP 2,515

101.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.15 ARS 3,173

$1.69 COP 5,488

27.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 ARS 4,454

$3.17 COP 10.3K

-5.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 ARS 1,874

$1.05 COP 3,423

20.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.57 ARS 2,319

$1.30 COP 4,236

20.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 ARS 2,980

$1.40 COP 4,544

44.29%

Eggs

$2.19 ARS 3,235

$2.16 COP 7,047

1.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 ARS 15.1K

$4.39 COP 14.3K

132.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.19 ARS 9,148

$5.88 COP 19.1K

5.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ARS 13.8K

$8.64 COP 28.1K

8.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.00 ARS 2,957

$2.28 COP 7,426

-12.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 ARS 3,193

$1.11 COP 3,604

94.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.31 ARS 1,929

$1.53 COP 4,983

-14.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 ARS 3,753

$1.35 COP 4,410

88.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 ARS 1,697

$1.13 COP 3,674

1.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 ARS 1,753

$1.13 COP 3,692

5.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 ARS 1,958

$0.85 COP 2,753

55.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 ARS 2,203

$0.91 COP 2,975

63.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.15 ARS 4,662

$2.34 COP 7,630

34.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.11 ARS 7,549

$12.37 COP 40.3K

-58.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 ARS 2,924

$1.20 COP 3,909

65.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 ARS 4,466

$2.49 COP 8,104

21.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.76 ARS 1,129

$0.84 COP 2,728

-9.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 ARS 2,170

$1.42 COP 4,623

3.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 ARS 1,281

$1.92 COP 6,235

-54.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.02 ARS 8,894

$7.66 COP 24.9K

-21.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 ARS 1,566

$0.99 COP 3,223

7.07%

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

$27.9K ARS 41.2M

$18.0K COP 58.7M

54.59%

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

$30.5K ARS 45.1M

$26.6K COP 86.7M

14.67%

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

$66.0 ARS 97.5K

$80.8 COP 263.1K

-18.38%

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

$17.47 ARS 25.8K

$9.95 COP 32.4K

75.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.11 ARS 32.7K

$24.18 COP 78.7K

-8.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.57 ARS 39.3K

$25.08 COP 81.7K

5.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.87 ARS 20.5K

$19.15 COP 62.3K

-27.57%

Cinema Ticket

$6.22 ARS 9,195

$3.98 COP 13.0K

56.28%

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

$216 ARS 319.0K

$305 COP 993.5K

-29.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,690 ARS 4.0M

$6,059 COP 19.7M

-55.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.5 ARS 108.6K

$58.1 COP 189.2K

26.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.4 ARS 102.6K

$32.20 COP 104.8K

115.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ARS 167.9K

$101 COP 327.9K

12.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 ARS 163.0K

$108 COP 350.8K

2.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$340 ARS 502.4K

$477 COP 1.6M

-28.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$236 ARS 348.8K

$376 COP 1.2M

-37.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$694 ARS 1.0M

$845 COP 2.7M

-17.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$533 ARS 787.1K

$730 COP 2.4M

-27.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,872 ARS 2.8M

$3,215 COP 10.5M

-41.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,594 ARS 2.4M

$1,372 COP 4.5M

16.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $340 in El Calafate and $477 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in El Calafate vs $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $231 vs $193, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.

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 8% in total monthly costs ($955 vs $1,031 including rent). El Calafate is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,433 in El Calafate and $1,546 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: $340 in El Calafate versus $477 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $216 in El Calafate versus $305 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 $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $955 in El Calafate versus $1,031 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 8% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.