Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Chingola

For one person, living is cheaper in Chingola: $428 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $14,400 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

$1,625

/mo nomad

Chingola

🇿🇲 Zambia

$428

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Chingola

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 Chingola actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,625 in Medellin versus $428 in Chingola.

Medellin $1,625
Chingola $428

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,412 in Medellin versus $731 in Chingola.

Medellin $2,412
Chingola $731

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,199 in Medellin versus $1,033 in Chingola.

Medellin $3,199
Chingola $1,033

Living in Medellin is roughly 280% more expensive than in Chingola, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Chingola is 68% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$15.26 ZMW 304

-45.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$25.50 ZMW 507

83.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$0.52 ZMW 10.33

246.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$0.37 ZMW 7.29

272.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$0.61 ZMW 12.20

431.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$1.23 ZMW 24.41

352.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$1.76 ZMW 35.04

-14.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$1.20 ZMW 23.79

97.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$2.48 ZMW 49.29

-31.45%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$1.84 ZMW 36.67

60.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$5.11 ZMW 102

90.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$4.53 ZMW 90.1

206.84%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$1.98 ZMW 39.48

108.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$1.98 ZMW 39.37

-22.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$2.01 ZMW 40.05

10.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$1.99 ZMW 39.49

14.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$3.03 ZMW 60.2

-34.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$1.54 ZMW 30.68

8.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$0.88 ZMW 17.59

40.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$1.54 ZMW 30.63

151.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

$4.96 ZMW 98.6

177.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$0.62 ZMW 12.34

167.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$0.78 ZMW 15.60

207.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

$0.58 ZMW 11.61

270.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

$10.17 ZMW 202

-17.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$1.34 ZMW 26.68

0.75%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$49.29 ZMW 980

238.10%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

$9.97 ZMW 198

352.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

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

$790 COP 2.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$20.29 ZMW 404

332.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$12.36 ZMW 246

370.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$50.3 ZMW 1,001

176.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$75.9 ZMW 1,509

30.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$15.1K ZMW 300.9K

-88.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$112 ZMW 2,223

493.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Chingola: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Chingola

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Chingola

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Chingola

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Chingola

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Chingola

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Chingola

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Chingola

–

Cost Breakdown

Medellin pays 493% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Medellin vs $26.00 in Chingola for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $163 per month, with Chingola cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇿🇲 Chingola

🕒 Local time

12:00 12:00 PM

19:00 7:00 PM

7 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

210,073

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Zambian Kwacha ZMW ZK

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

100 ZMW = 5.03 USD

100 ZMW = 4.47 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZMW, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Zambian Kwacha exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 19.89 ZMW (100 ZMW = 5.03 USD). 1 EUR = 22.36 ZMW (100 ZMW = 4.47 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Chingola 11,610 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Chingola

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 Chingola: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chingola is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 280% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 493% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Supermarket bills run roughly 83% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Chingola – a meal for two runs $26.00 versus $47.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $428 in Chingola versus $1,625 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Chingola but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Chingola the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Chingola is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Chingola gentler on the wallet – expenses run 280% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.