Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Chaguanas Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Chaguanas

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,716 in Medellin versus $1,318 in Chaguanas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,527 in Medellin versus $2,083 in Chaguanas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,338 in Medellin versus $2,847 in Chaguanas.

Living in Medellin is roughly 30% more expensive than in Chaguanas, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Chaguanas is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.2K

$10.33 TTD 68.8

-22.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 151.7K

$59.0 TTD 392

-18.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.7K

$8.12 TTD 54.1

20.32%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,149

$3.23 TTD 21.46

-9.91%

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

$1.94 COP 6,110

$1.32 TTD 8.76

46.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,783

$0.99 TTD 6.56

53.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,721

$1.83 TTD 12.20

68.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 18.1K

$2.55 TTD 16.98

125.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,287

$2.50 TTD 16.64

-45.60%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,505

$2.26 TTD 15.03

5.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,346

$2.19 TTD 14.61

-22.37%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 9,021

$3.90 TTD 25.94

-26.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.2K

$7.42 TTD 49.37

33.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.9K

$7.96 TTD 53.0

35.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.3K

$11.79 TTD 78.5

24.94%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$2.95 TTD 19.61

38.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,940

$3.06 TTD 20.39

-48.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,682

$3.05 TTD 20.31

-30.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,959

$5.27 TTD 35.06

-58.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,435

$2.48 TTD 16.49

-17.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,728

$2.17 TTD 14.42

-30.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,740

$1.93 TTD 12.85

-38.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,640

$1.32 TTD 8.81

-12.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$3.00 TTD 19.97

30.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.4K

$20.38 TTD 136

-29.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,978

$1.91 TTD 12.73

-17.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,889

$2.55 TTD 16.98

10.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,672

$0.72 TTD 4.76

62.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 244.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,038

$2.22 TTD 14.77

-42.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,576

$1.36 TTD 9.07

53.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 27.1K

$15.03 TTD 100.0

-42.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,080

$1.18 TTD 7.85

10.17%

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

$27.7K COP 86.9M

$34.1K TTD 226.7K

-18.80%

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

$35.5K COP 111.6M

$34.0K TTD 226.2K

4.45%

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

$176 COP 553.4K

$102 TTD 680

72.18%

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

$13.37 COP 42.0K

$39.11 TTD 260

-65.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 94.0K

$52.5 TTD 349

-43.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 140.7K

$52.7 TTD 351

-15.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.6K

$44.39 TTD 295

-61.57%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.5K

$8.89 TTD 59.2

-30.26%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$307 TTD 2,042

158.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 269.1K

$47.37 TTD 315

80.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 183.8K

$42.59 TTD 283

37.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 428.4K

$103 TTD 687

31.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 324.1K

$111 TTD 739

-7.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$468 TTD 3,112

126.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$376 TTD 2,503

80.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$969 TTD 6,445

107.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$767 TTD 5,105

52.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

$792 TTD 5,272

-16.03%

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: August 30, 2026

Last update for Chaguanas: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,060 in Medellin and $468 in Chaguanas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chaguanas 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: $48.00 in Medellin vs $59.0 in Chaguanas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $332 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 Chaguanas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chaguanas wins on cost – living expenses run 30% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chaguanas the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 19% lower in Chaguanas. 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: $1,060 in Medellin versus $468 in Chaguanas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,716 per month in Medellin versus $1,318 in Chaguanas – a 30% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,318 in Chaguanas versus $1,716 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chaguanas but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Chaguanas the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chaguanas delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,318 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chaguanas hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Chaguanas are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Chaguanas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.