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: $1,017 in Medellin versus $3,443 in Cham.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $5,403 in Cham.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,188 in Medellin versus $7,363 in Cham.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 70% less than in Cham, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 24% below, Cham is 156% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 21.2K

$31.00 CHF 24.78

-80.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 118.9K

$149 CHF 119

-77.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.8K

$20.08 CHF 16.05

-63.99%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,811

$6.92 CHF 5.53

-76.45%

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

$1.09 COP 3,904

$5.69 CHF 4.55

-80.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,604

$5.09 CHF 4.07

-85.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,197

$9.60 CHF 7.67

-81.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.5K

$7.30 CHF 5.84

-55.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,742

$2.26 CHF 1.80

-53.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,614

$3.36 CHF 2.69

-61.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,718

$4.11 CHF 3.29

-67.88%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 8,101

$7.30 CHF 5.84

-68.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.5K

$28.12 CHF 22.48

-84.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 21.0K

$32.90 CHF 26.30

-82.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.7K

$44.82 CHF 35.83

-80.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 8,015

$3.91 CHF 3.12

-42.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,814

$2.76 CHF 2.20

-61.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,438

$3.11 CHF 2.48

-51.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 5,073

$5.07 CHF 4.06

-71.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,173

$2.79 CHF 2.23

-58.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,166

$2.26 CHF 1.80

-48.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,163

$2.51 CHF 2.00

-64.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,215

$1.50 CHF 1.20

-40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 8,008

$10.88 CHF 8.69

-79.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 39.4K

$13.60 CHF 10.87

-18.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 4,063

$2.33 CHF 1.86

-51.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,483

$3.02 CHF 2.41

-21.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,979

$3.95 CHF 3.15

-78.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 149.6K

$99.1 CHF 79.2

-57.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 5,019

$7.68 CHF 6.14

-81.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,779

$4.35 CHF 3.47

-56.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.6K

$85.0 CHF 67.9

-90.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,586

$2.30 CHF 1.84

-56.09%

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

$17.6K COP 62.7M

$40.6K CHF 32.4K

-56.68%

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

$26.5K COP 94.5M

$38.7K CHF 31.0K

-31.59%

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

$83.7 COP 298.4K

$254 CHF 203

-67.09%

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

$9.45 COP 33.7K

$36.17 CHF 28.91

-73.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 86.0K

$58.8 CHF 47.00

-59.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 90.3K

$89.3 CHF 71.3

-71.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 68.3K

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.6K

$22.72 CHF 18.16

-81.95%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$2,568 CHF 2,053

-87.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 21.4M

$34.2K CHF 27.3K

-82.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 207.0K

$132 CHF 106

-56.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 116.1K

$62.5 CHF 49.95

-47.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 355.3K

$149 CHF 119

-32.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 387.1K

$201 CHF 160

-45.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$1,674 CHF 1,338

-71.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$1,451 CHF 1,160

-73.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 3.0M

$2,848 CHF 2,277

-70.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.6M

$2,461 CHF 1,967

-70.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 10.1M

$14.9K CHF 11.9K

-80.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.4M

$11.9K CHF 9,482

-89.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Cham: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Medellin and $1,674 in Cham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $149 in Cham for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $645 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 239% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,525 in Medellin and $5,164 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: $482 in Medellin versus $1,674 in Cham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $312 in Medellin versus $2,568 in Cham. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 240% higher in Cham. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,017 in Medellin versus $3,443 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 239% less than in Cham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.