Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Antofagasta Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Antofagasta

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,031 in Medellin versus $964 in Antofagasta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $1,529 in Antofagasta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $2,093 in Antofagasta.

Living in Medellin is roughly 7% more expensive than in Antofagasta, driven mainly by Getting Around.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$7.37 CLP 6,864

-16.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$37.04 CLP 34.5K

-11.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$7.59 CLP 7,068

-3.29%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,600

$2.75 CLP 2,560

-37.45%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$1.29 CLP 1,202

-18.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$0.97 CLP 899

-20.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,488

$1.67 CLP 1,552

1.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$4.27 CLP 3,973

-25.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$1.14 CLP 1,064

-7.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$1.73 CLP 1,608

-24.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$1.25 CLP 1,161

12.00%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,047

$2.94 CLP 2,738

-26.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$9.94 CLP 9,257

-55.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$4.30 CLP 4,003

36.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$8.88 CLP 8,267

-2.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,426

$2.11 CLP 1,967

8.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,604

$2.36 CLP 2,193

-52.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,983

$2.57 CLP 2,397

-40.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$1.16 CLP 1,082

16.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$0.89 CLP 831

26.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$0.94 CLP 877

20.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$1.25 CLP 1,162

-32.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$1.22 CLP 1,141

-25.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,630

$4.84 CLP 4,503

-51.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$5.87 CLP 5,468

110.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$1.55 CLP 1,447

-22.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$1.37 CLP 1,275

81.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,728

$0.63 CLP 590

33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$0.50 CLP 467

184.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$1.40 CLP 1,308

-29.29%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$19.4K CLP 18.0M

-6.92%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$21.6K CLP 20.1M

23.45%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$47.85 CLP 44.6K

68.88%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$10.53 CLP 9,807

-5.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$13.11 CLP 12.2K

84.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.7K

$43.75 CLP 40.7K

-42.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$21.04 CLP 19.6K

-8.98%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$5.48 CLP 5,102

-27.37%

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

$305 COP 993.5K

$270 CLP 251.5K

13.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$3,357 CLP 3.1M

80.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$41.10 CLP 38.3K

41.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$16.09 CLP 15.0K

100.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$60.8 CLP 56.6K

65.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$71.1 CLP 66.2K

51.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$472 CLP 439.3K

1.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$374 CLP 348.0K

0.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$851 CLP 792.8K

-0.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$704 CLP 655.8K

3.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

$732 CLP 682.1K

-15.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

5.18

159.27%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Last update for Antofagasta: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $472 in Antofagasta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Antofagasta pays 19% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $37.00 in Antofagasta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $211 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

Medellin vs Antofagasta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Antofagasta wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Antofagasta the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 19% lower in Antofagasta. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $477 in Medellin versus $472 in Antofagasta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Medellin versus $270 in Antofagasta. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Antofagasta – a meal for two runs $37.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $964 in Antofagasta versus $1,031 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Antofagasta but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Antofagasta the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Antofagasta delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $964 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Antofagasta hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Antofagasta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.