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: $1,716 in Medellin versus $623 in Chilanga.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,527 in Medellin versus $989 in Chilanga.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,338 in Medellin versus $1,355 in Chilanga.

Living in Medellin is roughly 175% more expensive than in Chilanga, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Chilanga is 55% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.2K

$5.68 ZMW 109

41.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 151.7K

$31.47 ZMW 601

53.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.7K

$5.41 ZMW 103

80.59%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,149

$2.92 ZMW 55.7

-0.34%

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

$1.94 COP 6,110

$0.79 ZMW 15.18

145.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,783

$0.52 ZMW 9.87

192.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,721

$1.34 ZMW 25.58

130.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 18.1K

$2.33 ZMW 44.58

146.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,287

$1.75 ZMW 33.33

-22.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,505

$1.27 ZMW 24.23

88.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,346

$2.19 ZMW 41.81

-22.37%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 9,021

$2.02 ZMW 38.53

42.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.2K

$10.60 ZMW 203

-6.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.9K

$6.33 ZMW 121

70.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.3K

$6.82 ZMW 130

115.98%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$3.95 ZMW 75.4

3.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,940

$2.55 ZMW 48.78

-38.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,682

$3.95 ZMW 75.5

-46.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,959

$1.63 ZMW 31.11

35.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,435

$2.73 ZMW 52.1

-24.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,728

$2.10 ZMW 40.03

-28.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,740

$1.15 ZMW 21.94

3.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,640

$0.76 ZMW 14.60

52.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$3.12 ZMW 59.5

25.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.4K

$10.64 ZMW 203

35.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,978

$1.55 ZMW 29.63

1.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,889

$2.48 ZMW 47.40

14.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,672

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 244.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,038

$2.61 ZMW 49.88

-50.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,576

$1.43 ZMW 27.34

46.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 27.1K

$5.37 ZMW 103

60.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,080

$1.63 ZMW 31.04

-20.25%

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

$27.7K COP 86.9M

$7,864 ZMW 150.2K

251.69%

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

$35.5K COP 111.6M

$33.9K ZMW 647.2K

4.78%

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

$176 COP 553.4K

$84.1 ZMW 1,605

109.48%

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

$13.37 COP 42.0K

$10.88 ZMW 208

22.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 94.0K

$57.5 ZMW 1,097

-47.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 140.7K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.6K

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.5K

$6.28 ZMW 120

-1.27%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$142 ZMW 2,721

456.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.4M

$16.5K ZMW 315.3K

-45.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 269.1K

$25.60 ZMW 489

234.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 183.8K

$15.43 ZMW 295

278.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 428.4K

$45.59 ZMW 871

198.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 324.1K

$77.3 ZMW 1,476

33.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-62.28%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Chilanga: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $31.00 in Chilanga for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $250 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 175% in total monthly costs ($1,716 vs $623 including rent). Chilanga is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,574 in Medellin and $934 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 $793 in Medellin versus $142 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 $31.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $623 in Chilanga versus $1,716 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 175% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.