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: $1,716 in Medellin versus $999 in Chapeco.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,527 in Medellin versus $1,522 in Chapeco.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,338 in Medellin versus $2,044 in Chapeco.

Living in Medellin is roughly 72% more expensive than in Chapeco, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Chapeco is 27% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.1K

$5.83 R$29.87

37.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 150.8K

$37.91 R$194

27.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.5K

$9.68 R$49.60

0.93%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,095

$1.98 R$10.17

46.97%

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

$1.94 COP 6,074

$0.82 R$4.18

136.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,754

$0.63 R$3.21

141.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,663

$1.55 R$7.95

99.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 17.9K

$2.43 R$12.43

136.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,262

$0.86 R$4.40

58.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,460

$1.13 R$5.79

111.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,314

$2.15 R$11.02

-20.93%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 8,967

$1.95 R$9.98

47.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.1K

$8.76 R$44.89

13.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.7K

$7.68 R$39.34

40.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.0K

$11.58 R$59.4

27.20%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$2.53 R$12.97

61.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,911

$1.07 R$5.49

46.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,642

$0.60 R$3.09

255.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,917

$0.76 R$3.88

190.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,396

$0.80 R$4.10

156.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,700

$0.56 R$2.85

167.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,718

$0.94 R$4.79

26.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,619

$0.81 R$4.13

43.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$2.46 R$12.59

58.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.1K

$9.54 R$48.86

51.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,948

$0.93 R$4.75

69.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,836

$1.50 R$7.70

88.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,650

$0.94 R$4.83

24.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 242.9K

$38.31 R$196

102.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,014

$1.37 R$7.00

-6.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,537

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 26.9K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,056

$1.19 R$6.08

9.24%

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

$27.7K COP 86.4M

$23.1K R$118.4K

19.69%

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

$35.5K COP 110.9M

$32.0K R$164.2K

10.82%

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

$176 COP 550.1K

$181 R$926

-2.56%

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

$13.37 COP 41.8K

$11.03 R$56.5

21.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 93.4K

$19.13 R$98.0

56.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 139.8K

$25.18 R$129

77.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.3K

$34.97 R$179

-51.22%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.4K

$6.57 R$33.65

-5.63%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.2M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 267.5K

$28.79 R$148

197.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 182.7K

$19.62 R$101

198.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 425.9K

$39.05 R$200

249.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 322.2K

$57.6 R$295

79.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$417 R$2,135

154.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$341 R$1,745

99.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$868 R$4,446

131.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$559 R$2,864

109.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.8M

$1,652 R$8,463

148.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$1,043 R$5,344

63.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

$428 R$2,194

55.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Chapeco: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,060 in Medellin and $417 in Chapeco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 55% 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: $48.00 in Medellin vs $38.00 in Chapeco for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $205 per month, with Chapeco 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 72% 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 55% 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: $1,060 in Medellin versus $417 in Chapeco. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,716 per month in Medellin versus $999 in Chapeco – a 72% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $999 in Chapeco versus $1,716 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 $999 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 72% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.