Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Chaves

For one person, living is cheaper in Chaves: $1,050 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Chaves
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Chaves Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Chaves

🇵🇹 Portugal

$1,050

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Chaves

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Chaves actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,050 in Chaves, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Chaves $1,050

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,604 in Chaves, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Chaves $1,604

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,159 in Chaves, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Chaves $2,159

Medellin costs about 56% more than Chaves, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Chaves is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$7.85 €7.04

3.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$22.39 €20.06

110.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$7.81 €6.99

21.64%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$1.57 €1.41

91.72%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$1.45 €1.30

24.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$0.58 €0.52

143.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$2.20 €1.97

44.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$2.69 €2.41

113.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$1.00 €0.90

51.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$1.10 €0.98

116.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$1.13 €1.01

56.64%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$3.05 €2.74

-5.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$6.17 €5.53

65.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$6.37 €5.71

54.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$10.54 €9.44

32.73%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$1.09 €0.98

264.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$1.09 €0.98

42.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$1.10 €0.98

98.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$1.11 €0.99

96.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$2.03 €1.82

-3.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$1.09 €0.98

45.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$1.38 €1.23

-16.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.86 €0.77

44.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$5.95 €5.33

-33.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$3.82 €3.42

258.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$1.13 €1.01

46.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

$1.09 €0.98

107.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$0.87 €0.78

34.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$28.11 €25.19

175.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$3.81 €3.41

-66.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

$0.64 €0.57

220.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$19.59 €17.55

-56.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$2.02 €1.81

-33.17%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$33.8K €30.3K

0.75%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$37.9K €33.9K

-8.44%

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$135 €121

26.09%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$17.73 €15.89

-23.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$30.95 €27.73

-9.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$24.86 €22.27

75.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$5.52 €4.94

211.41%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$7.07 €6.34

-2.26%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$220 €197

262.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$3,547 €3,178

156.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$71.1 €63.7

19.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

$22.77 €20.40

154.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

$62.4 €55.9

116.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$89.9 €80.5

8.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$478 €428

152.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$368 €330

74.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$937 €840

116.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$752 €674

34.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$1,876 €1,681

122.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$1,438 €1,288

32.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$994 €890

-33.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

264.67%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chaves: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Chaves

$368 35% 42.7% $274

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Chaves

$181 17.3% 39% $116

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Chaves

$183 17.5% 13.3% $28

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Chaves

$130 12.3% 23.6% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Chaves

$111 10.6% 34.5% $58

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Chaves

$39 3.7% 58.7% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Chaves

$39 3.7% 32.2% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $478 in Chaves. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 51% higher in Chaves, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $22 in Chaves. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $181 – making Chaves the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇵🇹 Chaves

🕒 Local time

07:13 7:13 AM

12:13 12:13 PM

5 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

37,592

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Chaves 7,740 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Chaves

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Chaves: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 56% more than Chaves, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,575 in Chaves. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chaves, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $478 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Public transport costs about 64% less in Chaves. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Medellin and $220 in Chaves. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,639 in Medellin and $1,050 in Chaves. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Chaves – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Chaves is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 36% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.