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: $1,030 in Medellin versus $828 in Chapeco.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,586 in Medellin versus $1,304 in Chapeco.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $1,780 in Chapeco.

Living in Medellin is roughly 24% more expensive than Chapeco, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Chapeco 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.2K

$5.55 R$27.59

6.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.17 COP 118.7K

$34.75 R$173

-4.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.25 COP 25.9K

$5.36 R$26.66

35.26%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,137

$1.78 R$8.83

-3.93%

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

$1.09 COP 3,915

$0.69 R$3.45

57.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,743

$0.69 R$3.45

11.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 COP 6,254

$1.43 R$7.09

22.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 11.4K

$2.18 R$10.82

45.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,792

$0.93 R$4.61

13.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,657

$1.05 R$5.21

23.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,926

$1.23 R$6.11

12.20%

Eggs

$2.21 COP 7,908

$1.63 R$8.11

35.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.52 COP 16.2K

$8.00 R$39.76

-43.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 COP 20.7K

$7.31 R$36.34

-20.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 32.1K

$7.41 R$36.85

21.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 COP 8,182

$2.07 R$10.27

10.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,791

$1.06 R$5.28

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 COP 5,411

$1.20 R$5.96

25.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,869

$1.44 R$7.18

-5.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,146

$0.93 R$4.64

24.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,174

$1.09 R$5.44

7.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 COP 2,960

$0.70 R$3.46

18.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 COP 3,043

$0.66 R$3.29

28.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.35 COP 8,423

$2.37 R$11.78

-0.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.09 COP 39.7K

$9.96 R$49.48

11.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 COP 4,133

$1.21 R$6.00

-4.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,853

$2.02 R$10.04

22.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,827

$0.78 R$3.89

1.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.85 COP 149.8K

$38.60 R$192

8.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,140

$1.05 R$5.22

37.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,793

$0.75 R$3.71

153.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.70 COP 27.6K

$6.47 R$32.14

19.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 COP 3,680

$1.08 R$5.34

-4.63%

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

$17.7K COP 63.3M

$21.3K R$105.7K

-16.89%

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

$27.0K COP 96.7M

$26.3K R$130.8K

2.69%

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

$81.4 COP 291.4K

$59.6 R$296

36.52%

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

$9.42 COP 33.7K

$7.96 R$39.57

18.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.77 COP 85.1K

$17.66 R$87.8

34.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.86 COP 92.6K

$23.48 R$117

10.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.34 COP 69.2K

$32.49 R$161

-40.47%

Cinema Ticket

$4.05 COP 14.5K

$6.48 R$32.22

-37.50%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$273 R$1,359

14.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,067 COP 21.7M

$6,540 R$32.5K

-7.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 COP 210.7K

$49.57 R$246

18.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.82 COP 117.5K

$41.83 R$208

-21.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 COP 359.6K

$74.8 R$372

34.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 COP 380.3K

$65.2 R$324

63.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 COP 1.8M

$283 R$1,405

73.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 COP 1.3M

$255 R$1,268

45.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$559 R$2,779

49.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 COP 2.6M

$459 R$2,282

55.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,952 COP 10.6M

$1,705 R$8,476

73.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,394 COP 5.0M

$1,094 R$5,439

27.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$532 COP 1.9M

$445 R$2,213

19.50%

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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Chapeco: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Medellin and $283 in Chapeco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 19% 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 in Medellin vs $35 in Chapeco. Groceries flip the comparison at $190 vs $188, with Chapeco cheaper for home cooking.

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 24% 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 19% 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: $490 in Medellin versus $283 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 8% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $312 in Medellin versus $273 in Chapeco. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $828 in Chapeco versus $1,030 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 $828 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 24% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.