Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Chilanga Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Chilanga

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,013 in Medellin versus $660 in Chilanga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $978 in Chilanga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $1,297 in Chilanga.

Living in Medellin is roughly 54% more expensive than Chilanga, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Chilanga 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$7.16 ZMW 128

-16.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.4K

$24.88 ZMW 444

32.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$3.64 ZMW 65.0

94.78%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,115

$2.04 ZMW 36.35

-16.18%

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

$1.10 COP 3,924

$0.72 ZMW 12.89

52.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,781

$0.34 ZMW 6.02

129.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,997

$0.88 ZMW 15.65

90.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$1.77 ZMW 31.58

73.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,906

$1.32 ZMW 23.48

-17.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,508

$0.74 ZMW 13.14

70.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,922

$1.57 ZMW 28.10

-12.10%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,827

$1.80 ZMW 32.10

21.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$7.87 ZMW 140

-44.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$3.93 ZMW 70.1

43.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.8K

$4.72 ZMW 84.2

88.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,349

$2.58 ZMW 46.06

-9.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,777

$1.66 ZMW 29.65

-36.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,374

$2.80 ZMW 49.91

-46.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,924

$1.11 ZMW 19.77

24.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,111

$1.83 ZMW 32.65

-37.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,155

$1.32 ZMW 23.63

-12.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,182

$0.87 ZMW 15.54

2.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,997

$0.49 ZMW 8.68

71.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,145

$2.50 ZMW 44.70

-8.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.0K

$11.11 ZMW 198

-4.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,284

$1.13 ZMW 20.18

6.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,824

$1.58 ZMW 28.18

56.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,056

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,264

$2.80 ZMW 49.93

-47.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,009

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$9.34 ZMW 167

-17.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,409

$1.22 ZMW 21.86

-22.13%

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

$18.1K COP 64.7M

$8,111 ZMW 144.8K

123.52%

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

$26.5K COP 94.6M

$28.1K ZMW 501.8K

-5.78%

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

$82.3 COP 293.7K

$90.4 ZMW 1,614

-9.06%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$52.8 ZMW 943

-82.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.5K

$127 ZMW 2,267

-80.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.4K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.9K

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$4.19 ZMW 74.8

-6.21%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$180 ZMW 3,212

71.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$9,418 ZMW 168.1K

-36.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.5K

$18.96 ZMW 338

209.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.5K

$16.97 ZMW 303

90.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 366.4K

$83.7 ZMW 1,494

22.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 387.2K

$73.8 ZMW 1,318

46.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

-46.28%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Chilanga: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $25.00 in Chilanga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $179 per month, with Chilanga 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 Chilanga: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Chilanga differ by about 54% in total monthly costs ($1,013 vs $660 including rent). Chilanga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,519 in Medellin and $990 in Chilanga to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $180 in Chilanga. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Chilanga – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $660 in Chilanga versus $1,013 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Chilanga but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Chilanga the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Chilanga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.