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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $944 in Antofagasta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,493 in Antofagasta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $2,042 in Antofagasta.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Antofagasta 30% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$7.67 CLP 6,859

-21.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.2K

$37.56 CLP 33.6K

-12.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$8.03 CLP 7,185

-11.71%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,105

$2.75 CLP 2,458

-37.82%

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

$1.10 COP 3,918

$1.30 CLP 1,161

-15.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,776

$0.90 CLP 805

-13.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,987

$1.64 CLP 1,469

2.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 10.9K

$4.28 CLP 3,829

-28.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,899

$1.12 CLP 1,001

-2.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,500

$1.74 CLP 1,558

-27.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,914

$1.32 CLP 1,178

4.55%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,813

$3.01 CLP 2,690

-27.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$9.98 CLP 8,933

-55.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$4.28 CLP 3,833

31.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.7K

$8.81 CLP 7,877

0.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,334

$2.11 CLP 1,888

10.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,771

$2.28 CLP 2,040

-53.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,365

$2.45 CLP 2,193

-38.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,915

$1.20 CLP 1,078

15.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,104

$0.95 CLP 854

21.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,148

$0.94 CLP 837

23.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,176

$1.21 CLP 1,080

-26.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,992

$1.16 CLP 1,041

-27.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,131

$4.81 CLP 4,306

-52.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 37.9K

$6.00 CLP 5,364

77.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,276

$1.53 CLP 1,370

-21.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,809

$1.43 CLP 1,278

72.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,051

$0.62 CLP 553

38.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,255

$0.47 CLP 419

212.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 6,997

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,403

$1.40 CLP 1,249

-32.14%

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

$18.1K COP 64.6M

$19.7K CLP 17.6M

-7.75%

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

$26.5K COP 94.4M

$21.3K CLP 19.1M

24.22%

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

$82.3 COP 293.2K

$47.75 CLP 42.7K

72.25%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$10.47 CLP 9,367

-9.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.4K

$13.05 CLP 11.7K

85.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.3K

$43.14 CLP 38.6K

-39.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.7K

$21.57 CLP 19.3K

-11.91%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$5.42 CLP 4,845

-27.49%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$273 CLP 243.9K

13.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$3,289 CLP 2.9M

81.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.1K

$41.85 CLP 37.4K

40.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.3K

$16.11 CLP 14.4K

100.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 365.7K

$61.1 CLP 54.6K

68.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 386.5K

$72.2 CLP 64.6K

50.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$463 CLP 414.4K

2.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$370 CLP 331.1K

2.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$859 CLP 768.2K

-2.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$690 CLP 617.1K

4.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$757 CLP 676.9K

-32.36%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Antofagasta: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $463 in Antofagasta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Antofagasta pays 48% 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 $38.00 in Antofagasta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $210 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, Antofagasta earns 48% less. 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: $476 in Medellin versus $463 in Antofagasta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $273 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 $38.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $944 in Antofagasta versus $1,013 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 $944 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.