Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Chingola Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Chingola

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,716 in Medellin versus $455 in Chingola.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,527 in Medellin versus $776 in Chingola.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,338 in Medellin versus $1,097 in Chingola.

Living in Medellin is roughly 277% more expensive than in Chingola, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Chingola is 67% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.2K

$16.07 ZMW 307

-50.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 151.7K

$25.85 ZMW 494

86.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.7K

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,149

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

$1.94 COP 6,110

$0.54 ZMW 10.37

259.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,783

$0.38 ZMW 7.30

300.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,721

$0.65 ZMW 12.35

375.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 18.1K

$1.30 ZMW 24.90

341.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,287

$1.88 ZMW 35.94

-27.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,505

$1.28 ZMW 24.37

86.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,346

$2.58 ZMW 49.35

-34.11%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 9,021

$1.93 ZMW 36.95

48.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.2K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.9K

$5.16 ZMW 98.5

108.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.3K

$4.85 ZMW 92.7

203.71%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$2.08 ZMW 39.72

96.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,940

$2.15 ZMW 40.98

-26.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,682

$2.07 ZMW 39.60

2.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,959

$2.15 ZMW 41.11

2.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,435

$3.13 ZMW 59.8

-34.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,728

$1.59 ZMW 30.44

-5.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,740

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,640

$0.88 ZMW 16.85

31.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$1.54 ZMW 29.42

153.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.4K

$5.34 ZMW 102

170.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,978

$0.65 ZMW 12.49

143.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,889

$0.81 ZMW 15.56

249.38%

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

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,576

$0.60 ZMW 11.45

248.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 27.1K

$10.57 ZMW 202

-18.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,080

$1.41 ZMW 26.96

-7.80%

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

$27.7K COP 86.9M

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

$35.5K COP 111.6M

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

$176 COP 553.4K

$53.4 ZMW 1,020

229.78%

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

$13.37 COP 42.0K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 94.0K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 140.7K

$10.59 ZMW 202

322.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.6K

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.5K

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

$793 COP 2.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 269.1K

$21.26 ZMW 406

302.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 183.8K

$13.00 ZMW 248

349.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 428.4K

$53.4 ZMW 1,020

155.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 324.1K

$79.5 ZMW 1,518

29.73%

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

$15.7K ZMW 299.0K

-89.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

$115 ZMW 2,192

479.73%

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: August 30, 2026

Last update for Chingola: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Medellin pays 480% 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: $48.00 in Medellin vs $26.00 in Chingola for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $171 per month, with Chingola 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 Chingola: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chingola is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 277% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 480% 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 77% 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 $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $455 in Chingola versus $1,716 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 277% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.