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: $1,018 in Medellin versus $3,528 in Cham.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,609 in Medellin versus $5,360 in Cham.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,200 in Medellin versus $7,192 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 24% below, Cham is 164% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.93 COP 19.1K

$30.86 CHF 25.23

-80.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.12 COP 106.6K

$147 CHF 121

-77.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.12 COP 22.9K

$19.66 CHF 16.08

-63.78%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 5,487

$6.74 CHF 5.51

-74.63%

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

$1.05 COP 3,374

$5.51 CHF 4.51

-80.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,324

$4.98 CHF 4.07

-85.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,531

$10.05 CHF 8.22

-82.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.2K

$7.68 CHF 6.28

-58.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,426

$2.24 CHF 1.83

-52.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,215

$3.33 CHF 2.72

-60.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 COP 4,279

$4.15 CHF 3.39

-67.95%

Eggs

$2.28 COP 7,338

$7.22 CHF 5.91

-68.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.42 COP 14.2K

$28.77 CHF 23.52

-84.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.92 COP 19.0K

$33.10 CHF 27.07

-82.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 27.8K

$44.54 CHF 36.42

-80.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 7,545

$4.02 CHF 3.29

-41.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 COP 3,546

$2.72 CHF 2.22

-59.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 COP 4,724

$2.98 CHF 2.44

-50.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,439

$5.05 CHF 4.13

-72.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,774

$2.87 CHF 2.34

-59.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,765

$2.30 CHF 1.88

-49.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,905

$2.57 CHF 2.10

-64.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,708

$1.52 CHF 1.24

-44.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 7,490

$11.20 CHF 9.16

-79.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.92 COP 38.3K

$13.01 CHF 10.64

-8.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 COP 3,693

$2.38 CHF 1.94

-51.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 COP 7,791

$3.17 CHF 2.59

-23.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,702

$3.88 CHF 3.17

-78.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 131.4K

$99.1 CHF 81.0

-58.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,541

$7.77 CHF 6.35

-81.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,160

$4.15 CHF 3.40

-53.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.83 COP 25.2K

$86.3 CHF 70.6

-90.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,037

$2.25 CHF 1.84

-58.22%

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

$17.8K COP 57.3M

$41.1K CHF 33.6K

-56.67%

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

$27.1K COP 87.1M

$39.9K CHF 32.6K

-32.09%

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

$83.3 COP 267.9K

$255 CHF 209

-67.40%

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

$9.66 COP 31.1K

$35.13 CHF 28.73

-72.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.22 COP 77.9K

$58.9 CHF 48.16

-58.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.22 COP 81.2K

$86.2 CHF 70.5

-70.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.33 COP 62.2K

Cinema Ticket

$4.07 COP 13.1K

$22.76 CHF 18.61

-82.12%

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

$307 COP 986.5K

$2,609 CHF 2,133

-88.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,981 COP 19.2M

$34.0K CHF 27.8K

-82.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 192.9K

$132 CHF 108

-54.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.65 COP 105.1K

$60.6 CHF 49.57

-46.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 325.2K

$148 CHF 121

-31.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 347.6K

$204 CHF 167

-47.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.5M

$1,705 CHF 1,394

-72.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.2M

$1,469 CHF 1,201

-74.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$816 COP 2.6M

$2,825 CHF 2,310

-71.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$707 COP 2.3M

$2,506 CHF 2,049

-71.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,190 COP 10.3M

$16.9K CHF 13.8K

-81.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,446 COP 4.7M

$14.1K CHF 11.5K

-89.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$622 COP 2.0M

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Cham: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $1,705 in Cham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $147 in Cham for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $192 vs $646 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 247% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,527 in Medellin and $5,293 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: $476 in Medellin versus $1,705 in Cham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $307 in Medellin versus $2,609 in Cham. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 236% higher in Cham. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,018 in Medellin versus $3,528 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 247% less than in Cham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.