Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Chalcis Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Chalcis

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,439 in Chalcis.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $2,228 in Chalcis.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $3,017 in Chalcis.

Living in Medellin is roughly 17% more expensive than in Chalcis, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 23% above, Chalcis 5% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$11.52 €10.04

-30.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$47.10 €41.05

1.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$9.26 €8.07

6.80%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$3.77 €3.29

-16.98%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$2.26 €1.97

-15.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.65 €0.57

132.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$3.43 €2.99

-9.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$4.73 €4.12

21.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.63 €1.42

-11.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$1.37 €1.19

81.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$2.28 €1.99

-22.37%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$4.34 €3.79

-31.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$11.97 €10.44

-15.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$9.90 €8.63

2.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$14.83 €12.93

-3.57%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$2.04 €1.78

102.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$2.00 €1.74

-19.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$1.76 €1.53

27.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$2.06 €1.80

9.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$1.14 €0.99

78.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$1.36 €1.19

13.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$0.93 €0.81

25.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.90 €0.78

45.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$5.06 €4.41

-22.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$7.12 €6.21

96.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.79 €1.56

-2.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$3.54 €3.09

-18.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$1.37 €1.20

-10.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$4.49 €3.91

-70.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$1.19 €1.04

84.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$14.59 €12.72

-40.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$2.12 €1.84

-35.38%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$28.5K €24.9K

-2.42%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$24.2K €21.1K

47.53%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$166 €144

7.04%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$24.88 €21.69

-44.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$29.25 €25.50

1.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$69.5 €60.6

-35.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$9.41 €8.21

-29.33%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$296 €258

174.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$4,594 €4,004

99.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$70.7 €61.6

26.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$36.56 €31.87

61.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$78.1 €68.1

76.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$110 €96.0

-7.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$608 €530

74.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$509 €443

30.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$1,067 €930

77.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$893 €778

15.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$2,525 €2,201

65.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$2,120 €1,848

-20.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$1,078 €940

-37.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.36

150.92%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Chalcis: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $608 in Chalcis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chalcis pays 59% 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 $47.00 in Chalcis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $277 per month, with Chalcis 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 Chalcis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chalcis is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around. The 17% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 59% lower in Chalcis. 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 $608 in Chalcis. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% 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 $1,439 in Chalcis – a 17% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,439 in Chalcis versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Chalcis but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Chalcis the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Chalcis is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Chalcis 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 Chalcis gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.