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: $1,641 in Medellin versus $3,622 in Cham.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $5,410 in Cham.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $7,198 in Cham.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 55% less than in Cham, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 19% above, Cham 163% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$31.40 CHF 25.63

-74.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$126 CHF 103

-61.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$18.26 CHF 14.91

-48.41%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$6.05 CHF 4.94

-51.40%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$5.68 CHF 4.63

-67.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$4.79 CHF 3.91

-69.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$8.40 CHF 6.86

-61.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$6.82 CHF 5.57

-16.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$2.22 CHF 1.81

-35.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$4.05 CHF 3.30

-40.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$3.83 CHF 3.13

-55.61%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$7.36 CHF 6.01

-60.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$27.93 CHF 22.79

-63.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$27.68 CHF 22.59

-63.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$43.42 CHF 35.44

-67.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$4.12 CHF 3.36

-3.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$2.28 CHF 1.86

-30.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$3.30 CHF 2.70

-34.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$4.72 CHF 3.85

-51.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$2.52 CHF 2.06

-20.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$2.27 CHF 1.85

-33.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$2.56 CHF 2.09

-53.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$1.20 CHF 0.98

6.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$11.20 CHF 9.14

-65.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$13.61 CHF 11.11

2.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$2.87 CHF 2.34

-40.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$3.20 CHF 2.62

-14.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$5.00 CHF 4.08

-75.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$152 CHF 124

-48.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$5.61 CHF 4.58

-76.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$3.47 CHF 2.83

-37.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$61.9 CHF 50.5

-86.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$2.28 CHF 1.86

-40.35%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$40.6K CHF 33.2K

-32.41%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$39.9K CHF 32.6K

-8.50%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$288 CHF 235

-41.38%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$32.30 CHF 26.36

-57.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$57.2 CHF 46.65

-50.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$92.4 CHF 75.4

-50.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$42.34 CHF 34.56

-59.33%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$25.03 CHF 20.43

-73.43%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$1,818 CHF 1,484

-55.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$34.0K CHF 27.8K

-72.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$148 CHF 121

-41.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$60.7 CHF 49.56

-2.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$167 CHF 136

-16.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$261 CHF 213

-60.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$1,732 CHF 1,413

-38.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$1,469 CHF 1,199

-55.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$2,875 CHF 2,346

-33.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$2,682 CHF 2,189

-60.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$17.9K CHF 14.6K

-76.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$13.6K CHF 11.1K

-87.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

2.07

428.50%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Cham: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $1,732 in Cham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $126 in Cham for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $616 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 121% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,462 in Medellin and $5,434 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: $1,071 in Medellin versus $1,732 in Cham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $803 in Medellin versus $1,818 in Cham. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 105% higher in Cham. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,641 in Medellin versus $3,622 in Cham, a $2,500 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 121% less than in Cham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.