Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Chapeco Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Chapeco

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,013 in Medellin versus $827 in Chapeco.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,292 in Chapeco.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $1,756 in Chapeco.

Living in Medellin is roughly 22% more expensive than Chapeco, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Chapeco 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.5K

$5.55 R$28.59

7.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 118.1K

$34.56 R$178

-4.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.5K

$5.44 R$28.03

30.33%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,154

$1.78 R$9.15

-3.93%

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

$1.10 COP 3,949

$0.71 R$3.65

54.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,798

$0.74 R$3.82

5.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 6,035

$1.40 R$7.24

20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$2.13 R$10.95

44.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,930

$1.01 R$5.19

7.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,536

$1.06 R$5.45

18.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,953

$1.27 R$6.55

8.66%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,876

$1.59 R$8.20

37.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.8K

$8.29 R$42.72

-46.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.2K

$7.24 R$37.29

-22.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 32.0K

$7.35 R$37.86

20.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,401

$2.15 R$11.08

8.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,801

$1.06 R$5.47

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,408

$1.15 R$5.95

30.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,955

$1.51 R$7.76

-8.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,137

$0.92 R$4.76

25.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,181

$1.06 R$5.46

9.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,202

$0.69 R$3.57

28.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 3,016

$0.62 R$3.19

35.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,196

$2.32 R$11.94

-1.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.2K

$9.81 R$50.6

8.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,311

$1.21 R$6.22

-0.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,880

$2.01 R$10.35

22.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,075

$0.85 R$4.39

1.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 148.8K

$39.03 R$201

6.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,297

$1.10 R$5.69

33.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,053

$0.69 R$3.58

184.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.8K

$6.28 R$32.37

23.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,430

$1.07 R$5.49

-11.21%

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

$18.1K COP 65.2M

$21.9K R$113.0K

-17.34%

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

$26.5K COP 95.2M

$26.7K R$137.3K

-0.62%

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

$82.3 COP 295.6K

$61.2 R$315

34.40%

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

$9.50 COP 34.1K

$8.16 R$42.05

16.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 87.1K

$17.87 R$92.1

35.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 93.0K

$24.24 R$125

6.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 68.3K

$32.19 R$166

-40.98%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.1K

$6.28 R$32.35

-37.42%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$271 R$1,398

13.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.4M

$6,479 R$33.4K

-7.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 210.8K

$48.91 R$252

19.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 116.2K

$41.56 R$214

-22.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 368.7K

$74.8 R$385

37.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 389.6K

$64.8 R$334

67.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$284 R$1,464

67.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$259 R$1,332

46.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$566 R$2,914

48.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$465 R$2,397

55.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

$1,667 R$8,586

67.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.4M

$1,084 R$5,583

11.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$439 R$2,261

16.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

10.92

22.99%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Chapeco: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $284 in Chapeco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 17% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $35.00 in Chapeco for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $189 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 Chapeco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chapeco wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chapeco the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Medellin pays 17% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $476 in Medellin versus $284 in Chapeco. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Chapeco runs roughly 6% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $271 in Chapeco. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $827 in Chapeco versus $1,013 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chapeco but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Chapeco the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chapeco delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $827 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chapeco hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Chapeco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.