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: $1,031 in Medellin versus $652 in Chilanga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $976 in Chilanga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $1,301 in Chilanga.

Living in Medellin is roughly 58% more expensive than in Chilanga, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Chilanga 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$7.14 ZMW 130

-13.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$25.30 ZMW 460

28.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$3.69 ZMW 67.1

98.92%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,599

$2.03 ZMW 37.01

-15.27%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$0.73 ZMW 13.28

43.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$0.36 ZMW 6.60

113.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,487

$0.92 ZMW 16.80

83.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$1.75 ZMW 31.94

81.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$1.28 ZMW 23.30

-17.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$0.75 ZMW 13.74

73.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$1.60 ZMW 29.09

-12.50%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,046

$1.76 ZMW 32.11

22.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$7.64 ZMW 139

-42.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$3.79 ZMW 68.9

55.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$4.64 ZMW 84.4

86.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,425

$2.59 ZMW 47.14

-11.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,603

$1.60 ZMW 29.09

-30.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,982

$2.82 ZMW 51.3

-45.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$1.13 ZMW 20.55

19.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$1.84 ZMW 33.45

-38.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$1.32 ZMW 24.08

-14.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$0.86 ZMW 15.66

-1.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$0.52 ZMW 9.40

75.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,629

$2.47 ZMW 44.87

-5.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$10.74 ZMW 195

15.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$1.13 ZMW 20.52

6.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$1.52 ZMW 27.70

63.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,727

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$2.69 ZMW 48.92

-47.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$9.41 ZMW 171

-18.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$1.24 ZMW 22.52

-20.16%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$8,084 ZMW 147.1K

123.02%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$28.3K ZMW 514.7K

-5.84%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$91.9 ZMW 1,672

-12.03%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$52.2 ZMW 950

-80.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$127 ZMW 2,311

-80.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.6K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$4.23 ZMW 77.0

-5.91%

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

$305 COP 993.4K

$180 ZMW 3,271

69.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$9,457 ZMW 172.1K

-35.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$18.57 ZMW 338

213.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$16.71 ZMW 304

92.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$83.6 ZMW 1,521

20.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$71.9 ZMW 1,308

49.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Chilanga: July 13, 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 $193 vs $177 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 58% in total monthly costs ($1,031 vs $652 including rent). Chilanga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,546 in Medellin and $977 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 $305 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 $652 in Chilanga versus $1,031 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 58% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.