Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Chone

For one person, living is cheaper in Chone: $732 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Chone
Learn more

Chone Living Index

Jump to prices

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Chone

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$732

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Chone

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,614 in Medellin versus $732 in Chone.

Medellin $1,614
Chone $732

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,402 in Medellin versus $1,240 in Chone.

Medellin $2,402
Chone $1,240

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,190 in Medellin versus $1,748 in Chone.

Medellin $3,190
Chone $1,748

Living in Medellin is roughly 121% more expensive than in Chone, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Chone is 46% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$3.77 $3.77

110.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$31.29 $31.29

47.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$5.91 $5.91

60.74%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$2.48 $2.48

25.40%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$0.86 $0.86

112.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$0.69 $0.69

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$2.07 $2.07

47.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$4.08 $4.08

34.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$1.12 $1.12

29.46%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$1.52 $1.52

55.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$1.57 $1.57

7.01%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$2.00 $2.00

43.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$6.64 $6.64

53.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$4.55 $4.55

109.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$6.32 $6.32

122.15%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$1.55 $1.55

162.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$0.97 $0.97

54.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$1.04 $1.04

108.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$1.03 $1.03

124.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$1.13 $1.13

70.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$1.03 $1.03

59.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$0.71 $0.71

59.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$1.08 $1.08

15.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$5.01 $5.01

-20.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$8.56 $8.56

55.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$1.63 $1.63

4.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$2.76 $2.76

-14.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

$0.31 $0.31

290.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

$17.28 $17.28

342.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$1.32 $1.32

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

$1.23 $1.23

73.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$8.58 $8.58

-1.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$0.86 $0.86

51.16%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$21.7K $21.7K

29.19%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$33.0K $33.0K

7.32%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$41.43 $41.43

315.38%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$13.59 $13.59

-1.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$25.32 $25.32

13.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

$33.32 $33.32

35.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

$15.43 $15.43

10.43%

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$6.33 $6.33

-0.79%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$207 $207

272.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$5,025 $5,025

79.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$55.5 $55.5

55.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$47.21 $47.21

21.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$109 $109

25.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$79.7 $79.7

22.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$319 $319

231.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$169 $169

265.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$788 $788

140.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

$451 $451

126.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$1,272 $1,272

219.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

$807 $807

108.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

10.05

8.86%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chone: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Chone

$169 23.1% 72.6% $447

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Chone

$177 24.2% 39.9% $117

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Chone

$80 11% 62.5% $134

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Chone

$131 17.9% 22.9% $39

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Chone

$102 14% 39.2% $66

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Chone

$26 3.6% 72.1% $67

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Chone

$46 6.3% 20.5% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,055 in Medellin and $319 in Chone. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Medellin vs $31.00 in Chone for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $177 per month, with Chone cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇪🇨 Chone

🕒 Local time

14:24 2:24 PM

Same time as Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

44,751

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Chone 920 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Chone

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 Chone: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chone wins on cost – living expenses run 121% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chone the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,421 in Medellin and $1,097 in Chone to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,055 in Medellin versus $319 in Chone. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,614 per month in Medellin versus $732 in Chone – a 121% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chone runs roughly 343% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $732 in Chone versus $1,614 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chone but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Chone the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Chone delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $732 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Chone hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Chone gentler on the wallet – expenses run 121% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.