Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Chios

For one person, living is cheaper in Chios: $1,429 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Medellin outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,614
/mo nomad
Chios
🇬🇷 Greece
$1,429
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Chios

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

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $1,429 in Chios, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,614
  • Chios $1,429

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $2,099 in Chios, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,402
  • Chios $2,099

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $2,770 in Chios, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,190
  • Chios $2,770

Medellin costs about 13% more than Chios, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Chios sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Chios by 6%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Chios
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.93 COP 25.2K
$13.92 €12.38
-43.03%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.13 COP 146.3K
$43.95 €39.09
4.96%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.1K
$13.98 €12.44
-32.05%
Cappuccino
$3.11 COP 9,866
$3.64 €3.24
-14.56%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.83 COP 5,800
$2.36 €2.10
-22.46%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.38 COP 4,360
$0.91 €0.81
51.65%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.05 COP 9,672
$4.51 €4.01
-32.37%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.50 COP 17.4K
$4.37 €3.89
25.86%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Chios
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.45 COP 4,600
$1.57 €1.40
-7.64%
White Bread (500g)
$2.36 COP 7,496
$1.37 €1.22
72.26%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.68 COP 5,328
$2.58 €2.30
-34.88%
Eggs
$2.86 COP 9,077
$4.54 €4.04
-37.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.3K
$13.11 €11.66
-22.27%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.53 COP 30.2K
$9.76 €8.69
-2.36%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.04 COP 44.5K
$13.93 €12.39
0.79%
Apples (1kg)
$4.07 COP 12.9K
$2.23 €1.98
82.51%
Banana (1kg)
$1.50 COP 4,742
$2.04 €1.81
-26.47%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.17 COP 6,891
$1.34 €1.20
61.94%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.31 COP 7,310
$1.99 €1.77
16.08%
Potato (1kg)
$1.93 COP 6,113
$1.12 €1.00
72.32%
Onion (1kg)
$1.64 COP 5,196
$1.06 €0.94
54.72%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.13 COP 3,571
$1.05 €0.93
7.62%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.25 COP 3,954
$0.85 €0.76
47.06%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.99 COP 12.6K
$6.00 €5.33
-33.50%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.35 COP 42.3K
$7.06 €6.28
89.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.70 COP 5,384
$1.98 €1.76
-14.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.37 COP 7,525
$2.67 €2.37
-11.24%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Chios
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.21 COP 3,827
$1.31 €1.16
-7.63%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.5 COP 242.5K
$43.37 €38.57
76.37%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.32 COP 4,179
$4.07 €3.62
-67.57%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.14 COP 6,774
$1.22 €1.08
75.41%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.47 COP 26.8K
$16.42 €14.61
-48.42%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.30 COP 4,114
$2.07 €1.84
-37.20%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K COP 88.7M
$31.4K €28.0K
-10.93%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.4K COP 112.3M
$22.2K €19.8K
59.42%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Chios
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$172 COP 545.6K
$199 €177
-13.56%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.37 COP 42.4K
$20.12 €17.90
-33.55%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.73 COP 91.1K
$27.27 €24.26
5.35%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Chios
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.24 COP 143.5K
$51.7 €46.01
-12.55%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.04 COP 54.0K
$24.23 €21.55
-29.67%
Cinema Ticket
$6.28 COP 19.9K
$9.92 €8.83
-36.69%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Chios
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$770 COP 2.4M
$432 €384
78.41%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,011 COP 28.6M
$6,719 €5,977
34.12%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Chios
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.4 COP 274.0K
$77.4 €68.9
11.60%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.1 COP 181.1K
$42.43 €37.75
34.65%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$137 COP 432.9K
$78.9 €70.2
72.98%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 310.4K
$118 €105
-16.73%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Chios
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,055 COP 3.3M
$541 €482
94.89%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$616 COP 2.0M
$393 €349
56.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,892 COP 6.0M
$688 €612
175.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,023 COP 3.2M
$552 €491
85.40%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,059 COP 12.9M
$2,409 €2,143
68.49%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,678 COP 5.3M
$2,499 €2,223
-32.83%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Chios
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$652 COP 2.1M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
4.46
145.29%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chios: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$616
Chios
$393 36.2% $223
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$295
Chios
$276 6.4% $19
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$214
Chios
$246 15.1% $32
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$170
Chios
$142 16.3% $28
Eating Out
Medellin
$168
Chios
$241 43.4% $73
Getting Around
Medellin
$93
Chios
$59 37% $35
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Chios
$72 23.8% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $541 in Chios. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin versus $44.00 in Chios. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $276 – making Chios the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇬🇷 Chios
🕒 Local time
15:35 3:35 PM
23:35 11:35 PM
8 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
53,408
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Chios 10,580 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Chios

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 Chios: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Medellin or Chios?
Medellin costs about 13% more than Chios, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Medellin and in Chios?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $2,144 in Chios. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Medellin or Chios?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Chios, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do childcare costs compare in Medellin and in Chios?
Kindergarten costs $770 per month in Medellin and $432 in Chios. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Medellin or in Chios?
Groceries cost about 7% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Medellin or in Chios?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chios, where all-in costs run around $1,429, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Chios it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Medellin or Chios?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chios costs $1,429 versus $1,614 in Medellin. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Medellin compared to Chios?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Should I move to Medellin or to Chios?
If budget matters most, go with Chios. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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