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: $1,018 in Medellin versus $829 in Chapeco.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,609 in Medellin versus $1,292 in Chapeco.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,200 in Medellin versus $1,755 in Chapeco.

Living in Medellin is roughly 23% more expensive than in Chapeco, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.93 COP 19.0K

$5.50 R$27.82

7.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.12 COP 106.0K

$33.64 R$170

-1.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.12 COP 22.8K

$5.28 R$26.68

34.85%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 5,457

$1.84 R$9.31

-7.07%

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

$1.05 COP 3,356

$0.70 R$3.52

50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,311

$0.75 R$3.78

-4.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,502

$1.42 R$7.17

21.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.2K

$2.19 R$11.06

44.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,408

$0.92 R$4.66

15.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,192

$1.06 R$5.39

23.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 COP 4,256

$1.28 R$6.50

3.91%

Eggs

$2.28 COP 7,298

$1.64 R$8.30

39.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.42 COP 14.1K

$8.18 R$41.36

-45.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.92 COP 18.9K

$7.17 R$36.28

-17.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 27.7K

$7.31 R$36.95

18.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 7,504

$2.12 R$10.73

10.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 COP 3,527

$1.09 R$5.51

0.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 COP 4,698

$1.19 R$6.01

23.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,415

$1.45 R$7.35

-4.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,754

$0.93 R$4.73

25.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,744

$1.05 R$5.34

11.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,890

$0.75 R$3.78

20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,693

$0.62 R$3.13

35.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 7,449

$2.37 R$11.97

-1.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.92 COP 38.1K

$9.67 R$48.89

23.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 COP 3,673

$1.26 R$6.38

-8.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 COP 7,749

$2.04 R$10.32

18.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,687

$0.84 R$4.24

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 130.7K

$38.45 R$194

6.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,517

$1.06 R$5.35

33.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,127

$0.72 R$3.64

165.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.83 COP 25.0K

$6.57 R$33.23

19.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,020

$1.11 R$5.60

-15.32%

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

$17.8K COP 57.0M

$21.7K R$109.7K

-17.87%

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

$27.1K COP 86.7M

$26.4K R$133.7K

2.43%

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

$83.3 COP 266.4K

$60.6 R$307

37.35%

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

$9.66 COP 30.9K

$8.15 R$41.24

18.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.22 COP 77.5K

$17.89 R$90.5

35.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.22 COP 80.7K

$23.55 R$119

7.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.33 COP 61.9K

$32.52 R$165

-40.56%

Cinema Ticket

$4.07 COP 13.0K

$6.34 R$32.05

-35.80%

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

$307 COP 981.2K

$266 R$1,343

15.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,981 COP 19.1M

$6,371 R$32.2K

-6.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 191.9K

$49.54 R$251

21.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.65 COP 104.5K

$41.75 R$211

-21.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 323.5K

$75.4 R$381

34.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 345.7K

$65.4 R$331

65.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.5M

$283 R$1,433

67.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.2M

$260 R$1,316

45.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$816 COP 2.6M

$572 R$2,892

42.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$707 COP 2.3M

$460 R$2,325

53.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,190 COP 10.2M

$1,680 R$8,497

89.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,446 COP 4.6M

$1,074 R$5,432

34.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$622 COP 2.0M

$435 R$2,200

42.94%

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: July 20, 2026

Last update for Chapeco: July 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $283 in Chapeco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 43% 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 $34.00 in Chapeco. Groceries flip the comparison at $192 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 23% 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.

Average pay runs 43% higher in Medellin, 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 $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 6% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $307 in Medellin versus $266 in Chapeco. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $829 in Chapeco versus $1,018 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 $829 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 23% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.