Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Chone Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Chone

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,716 in Medellin versus $752 in Chone.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,527 in Medellin versus $1,214 in Chone.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,338 in Medellin versus $1,675 in Chone.

Living in Medellin is roughly 128% more expensive than in Chone, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Chone is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.2K

$3.61 $3.61

122.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 151.7K

$28.05 $28.05

72.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.7K

$6.03 $6.03

62.02%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,149

$2.49 $2.49

16.87%

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

$1.94 COP 6,110

$0.71 $0.71

173.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,783

$0.73 $0.73

108.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,721

$1.80 $1.80

71.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 18.1K

$2.67 $2.67

114.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,287

$1.09 $1.09

24.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,505

$1.79 $1.79

33.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,346

$1.52 $1.52

11.84%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 9,021

$2.33 $2.33

23.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.2K

$4.71 $4.71

111.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.9K

$5.20 $5.20

107.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.3K

$7.85 $7.85

87.64%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$1.56 $1.56

162.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,940

$1.12 $1.12

40.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,682

$1.26 $1.26

69.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,959

$0.97 $0.97

127.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,435

$1.38 $1.38

48.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,728

$1.04 $1.04

44.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,740

$0.76 $0.76

56.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,640

$1.04 $1.04

11.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$5.85 $5.85

-33.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.4K

$9.48 $9.48

52.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,978

$1.49 $1.49

6.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,889

$3.44 $3.44

-17.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,672

$0.37 $0.37

216.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 244.3K

$19.66 $19.66

295.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,038

$1.10 $1.10

16.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,576

$1.22 $1.22

71.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 27.1K

$9.71 $9.71

-11.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,080

$0.75 $0.75

73.33%

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

$27.7K COP 86.9M

$22.7K $22.7K

21.79%

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

$35.5K COP 111.6M

$31.8K $31.8K

11.53%

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

$176 COP 553.4K

$34.49 $34.49

410.50%

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

$13.37 COP 42.0K

$12.69 $12.69

5.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 94.0K

$23.02 $23.02

29.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 140.7K

$30.57 $30.57

46.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.6K

$16.20 $16.20

5.31%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.5K

$7.76 $7.76

-20.10%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$227 $227

249.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.4M

$5,642 $5,642

59.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 269.1K

$55.1 $55.1

55.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 183.8K

$46.34 $46.34

26.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 428.4K

$111 $111

22.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 324.1K

$82.9 $82.9

24.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$294 $294

260.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$163 $163

316.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$579 $579

247.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$358 $358

226.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.9M

$1,294 $1,294

217.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$756 $756

124.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 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: August 30, 2026

Last update for Chone: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,060 in Medellin and $294 in Chone. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $28.00 in Chone for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $187 per month, with Chone 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 Chone: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chone wins on cost – living expenses run 128% 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 $2,574 in Medellin and $1,128 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: $1,060 in Medellin versus $294 in Chone. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,716 per month in Medellin versus $752 in Chone – a 128% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chone runs roughly 295% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $752 in Chone versus $1,716 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 $752 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 128% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.