Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Calama Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Calama

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $610 in Calama.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,222 in Calama.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,835 in Calama.

Living in Medellin is roughly 176% more expensive than in Calama, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Calama is 55% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$7.23 CLP 6,899

10.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$32.65 CLP 31.2K

46.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$2.06 CLP 1,967

51.94%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$0.96 CLP 915

98.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.93 CLP 883

62.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$3.18 CLP 3,030

-1.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$5.07 CLP 4,835

13.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.12 CLP 1,065

28.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$0.87 CLP 833

186.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$2.75 CLP 2,629

-35.64%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$5.11 CLP 4,875

-42.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$9.57 CLP 9,136

5.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$6.36 CLP 6,070

59.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$7.95 CLP 7,584

79.87%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$1.27 CLP 1,208

225.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.03 CLP 978

56.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$1.55 CLP 1,482

45.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$1.17 CLP 1,119

92.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$0.90 CLP 859

126.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$0.94 CLP 898

63.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$5.20 CLP 4,962

-25.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$4.25 CLP 4,052

229.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.05 CLP 1,002

65.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$1.28 CLP 1,225

124.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.95 CLP 908

28.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$1.54 CLP 1,467

42.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.56 CLP 1,485

-12.18%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$41.97 CLP 40.1K

322.44%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$13.72 CLP 13.1K

116.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$51.4 CLP 49.1K

-12.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$20.56 CLP 19.6K

-16.73%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$4.80 CLP 4,583

38.54%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$317 CLP 302.9K

156.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$36.59 CLP 34.9K

144.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$28.82 CLP 27.5K

104.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$47.61 CLP 45.4K

190.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$62.3 CLP 59.4K

64.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$340 CLP 324.6K

212.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$107 CLP 101.6K

522.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$851 CLP 812.0K

121.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$637 CLP 607.8K

61.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$1,443 CLP 1.4M

189.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$1,261 CLP 1.2M

32.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$1,134 CLP 1.1M

-40.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

118.80%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Calama: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $340 in Calama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Calama pays 67% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $33.00 in Calama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $181 per month, with Calama 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 Calama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calama wins on cost – living expenses run 176% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Calama the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 67% lower in Calama. 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $340 in Calama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 68% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,681 per month in Medellin versus $610 in Calama – a 176% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $610 in Calama versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Calama but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Calama the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Calama delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $610 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Calama hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Calama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 176% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.