Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ancud

For one person, living is cheaper in Ancud: $223 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $17,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Ancud

🇨🇱 Chile

$223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Ancud

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $223 in Ancud.

Medellin $1,639
Ancud $223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $426 in Ancud.

Medellin $2,413
Ancud $426

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $630 in Ancud.

Medellin $3,186
Ancud $630

Living in Medellin is roughly 636% more expensive than in Ancud, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Ancud is 84% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$10.27 CLP 10.1K

-21.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$25.35 CLP 25.0K

85.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$6.16 CLP 6,080

54.22%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,734

$2.56 CLP 2,523

17.58%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$0.64 CLP 627

181.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,560

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,875

$0.59 CLP 579

155.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,677

$2.09 CLP 2,066

13.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,719

$0.70 CLP 687

152.86%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,332

$1.80 CLP 1,771

60.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$3.05 CLP 3,010

223.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$12.29 CLP 12.1K

13.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,011

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,047

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,050

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,336

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,131

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,698

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,290

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,770

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,611

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,348

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

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

$170 COP 547.7K

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

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

$797 COP 2.6M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ancud: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Ancud

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Ancud

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Ancud

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Ancud

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Ancud

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Ancud

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Ancud

–

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $25 in Ancud for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $89 per month, with Ancud cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇱 Ancud

🕒 Local time

08:55 8:55 AM

10:55 10:55 AM

2 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

28,162

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.14 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CLP, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 986 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.01 USD). 1 EUR = 1,101 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.08 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Ancud 5,360 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Ancud

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

Medellin vs Ancud: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ancud is about 86% cheaper overall, especially in groceries and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $2,459 in Medellin and $334 in Ancud 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 234% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Ancud – a meal for two runs $25 versus $47 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $223 in Ancud versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ancud but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Ancud 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.