Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Coquimbo Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Coquimbo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,687 in Medellin versus $1,073 in Coquimbo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,535 in Medellin versus $1,670 in Coquimbo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,383 in Medellin versus $2,267 in Coquimbo.

Living in Medellin is roughly 57% more expensive than in Coquimbo, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Coquimbo is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.89 COP 24.2K

$7.34 CLP 6,770

7.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.53 COP 136.5K

$48.33 CLP 44.6K

-7.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.29 COP 28.5K

$6.47 CLP 5,970

43.59%

Cappuccino

$2.90 COP 8,874

$3.86 CLP 3,564

-24.87%

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

$1.81 COP 5,541

$1.17 CLP 1,082

54.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 COP 4,741

$1.12 CLP 1,035

38.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 COP 9,962

$4.34 CLP 4,006

-25.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 COP 18.0K

$5.06 CLP 4,668

16.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 COP 4,230

$1.07 CLP 984

28.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 COP 7,517

$1.80 CLP 1,662

36.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,617

$1.65 CLP 1,518

-8.48%

Eggs

$2.78 COP 8,516

$3.90 CLP 3,596

-28.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 COP 27.7K

$11.47 CLP 10.6K

-21.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.65 COP 32.6K

$6.47 CLP 5,970

64.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.63 COP 44.8K

$12.70 CLP 11.7K

15.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.2K

$1.97 CLP 1,820

101.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,219

$1.67 CLP 1,538

-17.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,056

$1.72 CLP 1,591

33.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.02 COP 6,185

$1.70 CLP 1,566

18.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 COP 6,390

$1.03 CLP 947

102.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 COP 4,996

$1.48 CLP 1,361

10.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 COP 3,313

$1.35 CLP 1,245

-20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,843

$1.17 CLP 1,081

6.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.03 COP 12.4K

$5.54 CLP 5,114

-27.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 COP 41.3K

$5.97 CLP 5,509

125.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 4,904

$1.56 CLP 1,439

2.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 COP 9,189

$2.28 CLP 2,104

31.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,611

$0.85 CLP 785

38.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.9 COP 244.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 COP 4,920

$0.83 CLP 765

93.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,533

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 COP 26.1K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,142

$1.48 CLP 1,369

-8.78%

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

$28.3K COP 86.8M

$19.8K CLP 18.3M

43.02%

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

$35.7K COP 109.4M

$24.5K CLP 22.6M

45.90%

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

$151 COP 463.8K

$119 CLP 110.2K

26.76%

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

$13.10 COP 40.1K

$13.52 CLP 12.5K

-3.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.30 COP 99.0K

$20.45 CLP 18.9K

57.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.33 COP 141.9K

$27.85 CLP 25.7K

66.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.26 COP 52.9K

$5.55 CLP 5,117

210.99%

Cinema Ticket

$6.43 COP 19.7K

$7.26 CLP 6,697

-11.43%

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

$835 COP 2.6M

$444 CLP 410.0K

87.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,887 COP 27.2M

$8,551 CLP 7.9M

3.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 COP 273.7K

$51.3 CLP 47.4K

74.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 COP 169.5K

$30.01 CLP 27.7K

84.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 418.5K

$60.2 CLP 55.6K

126.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 335.1K

$74.8 CLP 69.0K

46.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$952 COP 2.9M

$512 CLP 472.4K

85.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$668 COP 2.0M

$425 CLP 391.9K

57.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 COP 6.2M

$1,042 CLP 961.0K

93.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 COP 3.5M

$682 CLP 629.6K

68.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,696 COP 11.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,586 COP 4.9M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$625 COP 1.9M

$647 CLP 596.5K

-3.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.43

5.15

102.52%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 17, 2026

Last update for Coquimbo: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $952 in Medellin and $512 in Coquimbo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Coquimbo pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Medellin vs $48.00 in Coquimbo. Groceries flip the comparison at $297 vs $241, with Coquimbo cheaper for home cooking.

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 Coquimbo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Coquimbo differ by about 57% in total monthly costs ($1,687 vs $1,073 including rent). Coquimbo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 3% lower in Coquimbo. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $952 in Medellin versus $512 in Coquimbo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $835 in Medellin versus $444 in Coquimbo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Coquimbo – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $45.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,073 in Coquimbo versus $1,687 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Coquimbo but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Coquimbo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Coquimbo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.