Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cham Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cham

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,030 in Medellin versus $3,510 in Cham.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,586 in Medellin versus $5,437 in Cham.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $7,364 in Cham.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 71% less than in Cham, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% below, Cham is 162% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.2K

$30.40 CHF 23.83

-80.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.17 COP 118.7K

$151 CHF 118

-77.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.25 COP 25.9K

$19.86 CHF 15.57

-63.49%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,137

$6.84 CHF 5.36

-75.00%

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

$1.09 COP 3,915

$5.57 CHF 4.37

-80.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,743

$5.22 CHF 4.09

-85.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 COP 6,254

$10.09 CHF 7.91

-82.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 11.4K

$7.45 CHF 5.84

-57.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,792

$2.22 CHF 1.74

-52.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,657

$3.26 CHF 2.56

-60.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,926

$4.08 CHF 3.20

-66.18%

Eggs

$2.21 COP 7,908

$7.22 CHF 5.66

-69.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.52 COP 16.2K

$28.15 CHF 22.07

-83.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 COP 20.7K

$33.89 CHF 26.57

-82.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 32.1K

$44.75 CHF 35.08

-79.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 COP 8,182

$3.82 CHF 2.99

-40.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,791

$2.65 CHF 2.08

-60.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 COP 5,411

$3.02 CHF 2.36

-50.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,869

$5.23 CHF 4.10

-74.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,146

$2.73 CHF 2.14

-57.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,174

$2.27 CHF 1.78

-48.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 COP 2,960

$2.49 CHF 1.95

-66.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 COP 3,043

$1.56 CHF 1.22

-45.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.35 COP 8,423

$10.94 CHF 8.58

-78.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.09 COP 39.7K

$15.44 CHF 12.10

-28.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 COP 4,133

$2.46 CHF 1.93

-53.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,853

$3.02 CHF 2.37

-18.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,827

$3.82 CHF 2.99

-79.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.85 COP 149.8K

$98.6 CHF 77.3

-57.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,140

$7.57 CHF 5.94

-80.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,793

$4.11 CHF 3.22

-53.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.70 COP 27.6K

$87.2 CHF 68.3

-91.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 COP 3,680

$2.34 CHF 1.84

-55.98%

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

$17.7K COP 63.3M

$39.6K CHF 31.1K

-55.39%

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

$27.0K COP 96.7M

$38.7K CHF 30.4K

-30.22%

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

$81.4 COP 291.4K

$258 CHF 202

-68.40%

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

$9.42 COP 33.7K

$36.19 CHF 28.37

-73.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.77 COP 85.1K

$59.4 CHF 46.55

-59.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.86 COP 92.6K

$88.5 CHF 69.4

-70.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.34 COP 69.2K

Cinema Ticket

$4.05 COP 14.5K

$22.34 CHF 17.52

-81.87%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$2,563 CHF 2,009

-87.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,067 COP 21.7M

$34.6K CHF 27.2K

-82.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 COP 210.7K

$132 CHF 104

-55.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.82 COP 117.5K

$61.4 CHF 48.12

-46.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 COP 359.6K

$148 CHF 116

-32.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 COP 380.3K

$199 CHF 156

-46.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 COP 1.8M

$1,671 CHF 1,310

-70.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 COP 1.3M

$1,459 CHF 1,144

-74.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$2,857 CHF 2,240

-70.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 COP 2.6M

$2,503 CHF 1,962

-71.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,952 COP 10.6M

$12.1K CHF 9,524

-75.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,394 COP 5.0M

$12.0K CHF 9,428

-88.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$532 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

2.09

542.58%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 20, 2026

Last update for Cham: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Medellin and $1,671 in Cham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33 in Medellin vs $151 in Cham for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $652 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 Cham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 241% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,544 in Medellin and $5,266 in Cham to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $490 in Medellin versus $1,671 in Cham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $312 in Medellin versus $2,563 in Cham. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 243% higher in Cham. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,030 in Medellin versus $3,510 in Cham, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Cham. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Medellin and Cham 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 Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 241% less than in Cham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.