Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Chimaltenango

For one person, living is cheaper in Chimaltenango: $750 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Chimaltenango

🇬🇹 Guatemala

$750

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Chimaltenango

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Chimaltenango actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $750 in Chimaltenango, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Chimaltenango $750

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,252 in Chimaltenango, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Chimaltenango $1,252

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,753 in Chimaltenango, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Chimaltenango $1,753

Medellin costs about 119% more than Chimaltenango, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Chimaltenango is 45% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$6.93 Q 52.9

16.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.7K

$49.84 Q 381

-5.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.6K

$7.86 Q 60.1

20.87%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,722

$3.30 Q 25.23

-8.79%

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

$1.80 COP 5,801

$1.11 Q 8.49

62.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,554

$0.92 Q 7.01

53.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

$3.34 Q 25.52

-4.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.5K

$4.65 Q 35.56

23.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,869

$1.99 Q 15.20

-24.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,667

$3.11 Q 23.75

-23.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,712

$2.05 Q 15.66

-13.66%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,320

$2.41 Q 18.45

19.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$6.23 Q 47.63

63.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.8K

$9.68 Q 74.0

1.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

$13.41 Q 102

4.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$3.96 Q 30.23

0.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,005

$1.73 Q 13.22

-10.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,039

$2.91 Q 22.21

-25.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,041

$1.64 Q 12.52

32.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,328

$1.49 Q 11.41

31.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,125

$2.09 Q 16.01

-23.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,694

$0.70 Q 5.32

64.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,009

$1.19 Q 9.12

4.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$4.16 Q 31.76

-4.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.1K

$8.23 Q 62.9

66.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,352

$1.75 Q 13.36

-5.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,281

$2.59 Q 19.76

-12.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,766

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,089

$5.32 Q 40.62

-76.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,603

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$10.37 Q 79.2

-17.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,343

$1.32 Q 10.10

2.27%

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

$34.1K COP 109.8M

$27.3K Q 208.7K

24.71%

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

$34.7K COP 111.8M

$25.3K Q 193.1K

37.17%

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

$170 COP 547.0K

$72.4 Q 554

134.19%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$28.72 Q 219

-52.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.5K

$46.00 Q 351

-38.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 140.9K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$6.67 Q 51.0

3.60%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$333 Q 2,548

138.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$6,742 Q 51.5K

35.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.2K

$50.3 Q 384

68.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 186.9K

$47.48 Q 363

22.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.2K

$120 Q 916

12.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.6K

$114 Q 874

-14.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.4M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.62

-5.85%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Chimaltenango: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Chimaltenango

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Chimaltenango

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Chimaltenango

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Chimaltenango

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Chimaltenango

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Chimaltenango

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Chimaltenango

–

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $50 in Chimaltenango. Groceries tell a different story – $297 in Medellin vs $282 in Chimaltenango – so Chimaltenango wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇬🇹 Chimaltenango

🕒 Local time

02:02 2:02 AM

01:02 1:02 AM

1 h behind Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

43,900

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Guatemalan Quetzal GTQ Q

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

1 GTQ = 0.131 USD

1 GTQ = 0.117 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GTQ, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Guatemalan Quetzal exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 7.64 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.131 USD). 1 EUR = 8.53 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.117 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Medellin Chimaltenango 1,910 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Chimaltenango

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Chimaltenango: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 119% more than Chimaltenango, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,125 in Chimaltenango. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $50 in Chimaltenango. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 5% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $750 in Chimaltenango to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.