Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Chillan Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Chillan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,034 in Medellin versus $1,023 in Chillan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,577 in Medellin versus $1,506 in Chillan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,120 in Medellin versus $1,990 in Chillan.

Living in Medellin is roughly 1% more expensive than Chillan, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Chillan 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$5.52 CLP 4,907

7.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$26.86 CLP 23.9K

21.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$6.14 CLP 5,457

17.26%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$3.10 CLP 2,753

-45.16%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$0.96 CLP 851

14.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.89 CLP 795

-19.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$3.61 CLP 3,213

-53.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$4.11 CLP 3,652

-24.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$1.15 CLP 1,026

-7.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$1.77 CLP 1,571

-29.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$1.90 CLP 1,693

-26.84%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$3.74 CLP 3,326

-39.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$7.64 CLP 6,793

-43.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$6.56 CLP 5,837

-10.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$11.08 CLP 9,853

-20.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$1.87 CLP 1,659

19.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$1.52 CLP 1,351

-28.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$1.58 CLP 1,401

-3.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$1.44 CLP 1,284

-4.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$1.27 CLP 1,131

-11.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$1.35 CLP 1,205

-17.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$1.23 CLP 1,090

-30.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$1.22 CLP 1,081

-25.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$5.37 CLP 4,778

-56.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$3.66 CLP 3,250

204.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$1.56 CLP 1,384

-23.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$2.29 CLP 2,039

3.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$0.67 CLP 592

17.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$0.50 CLP 447

188.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$1.37 CLP 1,221

-31.39%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$12.5K CLP 11.2M

42.81%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$15.8K CLP 14.0M

69.98%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$133 CLP 118.6K

-37.07%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$13.30 CLP 11.8K

-27.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$24.58 CLP 21.9K

-1.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$16.61 CLP 14.8K

55.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

$20.94 CLP 18.6K

-9.07%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$12.07 CLP 10.7K

-67.52%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$428 CLP 380.6K

-28.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$51.6 CLP 45.9K

12.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$29.72 CLP 26.4K

7.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$50.2 CLP 44.6K

99.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$67.2 CLP 59.8K

59.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$484 CLP 430.6K

0.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$368 CLP 326.8K

0.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$465 CLP 413.2K

77.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$589 CLP 523.4K

21.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

$2,579 CLP 2.3M

-45.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

$732 CLP 651.1K

-25.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

5.18

159.27%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Last update for Chillan: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Medellin and $484 in Chillan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chillan pays 34% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $27.00 in Chillan. Groceries flip the comparison at $190 vs $218, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.

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 Chillan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Chillan differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($1,034 vs $1,023 including rent). Chillan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Chillan earns 34% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $487 in Medellin versus $484 in Chillan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 15% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,034 per month in Medellin versus $1,023 in Chillan – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,023 in Chillan versus $1,034 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Chillan but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Chillan 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 Chillan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.