Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Chaves Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Chaves

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,013 per month in Medellin vs $1,534 in Chaves, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,602 per month in Medellin vs $2,181 in Chaves, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,192 per month in Medellin vs $2,829 in Chaves, rent included.

Medellin is about 34% cheaper than Chaves, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 24% below the global median, while Chaves is 14% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.5K

$8.28 €7.18

-27.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 118.1K

$22.88 €19.85

43.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.5K

$8.02 €6.95

-11.60%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,154

$1.72 €1.49

-0.58%

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

$1.10 COP 3,949

$1.77 €1.54

-37.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,798

$0.60 €0.52

30.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 6,035

$2.25 €1.95

-25.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$3.40 €2.95

-9.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,930

$1.08 €0.94

0.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,536

$1.72 €1.49

-26.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,953

$1.92 €1.67

-28.13%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,876

$3.11 €2.70

-29.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.8K

$11.16 €9.68

-60.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.2K

$8.15 €7.07

-30.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 32.0K

$13.94 €12.10

-36.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,401

$2.49 €2.16

-6.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,801

$1.55 €1.34

-31.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,408

$1.96 €1.70

-23.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,955

$3.04 €2.64

-54.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,137

$1.30 €1.13

-11.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,181

$1.89 €1.64

-38.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,202

$1.68 €1.46

-47.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 3,016

$0.93 €0.81

-9.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,196

$6.04 €5.24

-62.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.2K

$3.96 €3.43

168.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,311

$1.09 €0.94

10.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,880

$2.63 €2.28

-6.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,075

$2.34 €2.03

-63.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 148.8K

$42.63 €36.99

-2.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,297

$4.12 €3.57

-64.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,053

$1.19 €1.03

64.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.8K

$14.32 €12.42

-45.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,430

$1.90 €1.65

-50.00%

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

$18.1K COP 65.2M

$38.3K €33.2K

-52.64%

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

$26.5K COP 95.2M

$39.9K €34.6K

-33.63%

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

$82.3 COP 295.6K

$133 €115

-38.18%

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

$9.50 COP 34.1K

$21.11 €18.32

-55.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 87.1K

$42.60 €36.96

-43.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 93.0K

$43.90 €38.09

-41.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 68.3K

$5.64 €4.90

236.88%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.1K

$6.85 €5.94

-42.63%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$348 €302

-11.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.4M

$8,364 €7,256

-28.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 210.8K

$74.3 €64.4

-21.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 116.2K

$22.87 €19.84

41.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 368.7K

$69.0 €59.9

48.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 389.6K

$80.0 €69.4

35.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$917 €796

-48.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$717 €622

-47.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$1,480 €1,284

-43.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$1,160 €1,006

-37.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$1,053 €914

-51.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

5.43

147.33%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Chaves: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $476 in Medellin versus $917 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 106% higher in Chaves, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin versus $23.00 in Chaves. Groceries tell a different story – $188 in Medellin vs $253 in Chaves – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Chaves costs about 51% more than Medellin, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,519 per month in Medellin and $2,300 in Chaves. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 3% less in Medellin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $309 per month in Medellin and $348 in Chaves. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,013, than in Chaves at $1,534. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chaves it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Medellin costs $1,013 versus $1,534 in Chaves. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chaves makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.