Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Chaguanas

For one person, living is cheaper in Chaguanas: $1,287 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Chaguanas
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Chaguanas Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Chaguanas

🇹🇹 Trinidad And Tobago

$1,287

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Chaguanas

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 Chaguanas actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,614 in Medellin versus $1,287 in Chaguanas.

Medellin $1,614
Chaguanas $1,287

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,402 in Medellin versus $2,082 in Chaguanas.

Medellin $2,402
Chaguanas $2,082

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,190 in Medellin versus $2,876 in Chaguanas.

Medellin $3,190
Chaguanas $2,876

Living in Medellin is roughly 25% more expensive than in Chaguanas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Chaguanas is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$10.39 TTD 69.9

-23.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$59.9 TTD 403

-22.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$8.18 TTD 55.0

16.14%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$3.32 TTD 22.32

-6.33%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$1.26 TTD 8.44

45.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$1.00 TTD 6.71

38.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$1.73 TTD 11.64

76.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$2.63 TTD 17.69

109.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$2.39 TTD 16.07

-39.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$2.14 TTD 14.36

10.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$2.17 TTD 14.61

-22.58%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$3.87 TTD 26.01

-26.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$7.33 TTD 49.31

39.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$8.03 TTD 54.0

18.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$11.80 TTD 79.4

18.98%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$2.97 TTD 19.98

37.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$3.01 TTD 20.23

-50.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$2.86 TTD 19.22

-24.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$5.01 TTD 33.68

-53.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$2.47 TTD 16.59

-21.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$2.16 TTD 14.55

-24.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$1.99 TTD 13.37

-43.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$1.29 TTD 8.68

-3.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$2.89 TTD 19.41

38.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$19.92 TTD 134

-32.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$1.91 TTD 12.87

-10.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$2.56 TTD 17.19

-7.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

$0.76 TTD 5.10

59.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$2.21 TTD 14.87

-40.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

$1.33 TTD 8.95

60.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$14.46 TTD 97.3

-41.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$1.12 TTD 7.52

16.07%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$33.1K TTD 223.0K

-15.55%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$33.6K TTD 226.2K

5.32%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$103 TTD 691

67.52%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$38.71 TTD 260

-65.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$51.3 TTD 345

-44.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

$51.3 TTD 345

-11.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

$44.48 TTD 299

-61.69%

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$8.58 TTD 57.7

-26.81%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$304 TTD 2,042

153.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$45.03 TTD 303

91.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$42.30 TTD 285

35.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$98.7 TTD 664

38.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$106 TTD 716

-8.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$463 TTD 3,112

128.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$386 TTD 2,597

59.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$948 TTD 6,376

99.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

$759 TTD 5,106

34.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

$773 TTD 5,203

-15.65%

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: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chaguanas: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Chaguanas

$386 30% 37.3% $230

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Chaguanas

$326 25.3% 10.6% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Chaguanas

$193 15% 10% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Chaguanas

$132 10.2% 22.6% $38

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Chaguanas

$170 13.2% 1.2% $2

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Chaguanas

$12 * 0.9% 87.2% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Chaguanas

$68 5.3% 18.4% $11

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,055 in Medellin and $463 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: $46.00 in Medellin vs $60.0 in Chaguanas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $326 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇹🇹 Chaguanas

🕒 Local time

11:17 11:17 AM

12:17 12:17 PM

1 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

83,489

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Trinidad and Tobago Dollar TTD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1 TTD = 0.149 USD

1 TTD = 0.132 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TTD, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Trinidad and Tobago Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 6.73 TTD (1 TTD = 0.149 USD). 1 EUR = 7.56 TTD (1 TTD = 0.132 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Chaguanas 1,630 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Chaguanas

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 Chaguanas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chaguanas wins on cost – living expenses run 25% 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: $1,055 in Medellin versus $463 in Chaguanas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,614 per month in Medellin versus $1,287 in Chaguanas – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,287 in Chaguanas versus $1,614 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 $1,287 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 25% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.