Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Curico

For one person, living is cheaper in Curico: $976 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Curico
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Curico Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Curico

🇨🇱 Chile

$976

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Curico

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,614 in Medellin versus $976 in Curico.

Medellin $1,614
Curico $976

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,402 in Medellin versus $1,426 in Curico.

Medellin $2,402
Curico $1,426

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,190 in Medellin versus $1,876 in Curico.

Medellin $3,190
Curico $1,876

Living in Medellin is roughly 65% more expensive than in Curico, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Curico is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$5.53 CLP 5,449

43.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.7K

$45.99 CLP 45.3K

0.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.2K

$8.92 CLP 8,787

6.50%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,897

$3.29 CLP 3,239

-5.47%

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

$1.83 COP 5,818

$1.75 CLP 1,722

4.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,373

$1.28 CLP 1,259

7.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,702

$2.79 CLP 2,749

9.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.5K

$2.60 CLP 2,560

111.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,614

$1.25 CLP 1,234

16.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,519

$1.86 CLP 1,829

26.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,345

$1.60 CLP 1,578

5.00%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,106

$2.17 CLP 2,141

31.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.4K

$11.12 CLP 11.0K

-8.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.3K

$6.84 CLP 6,741

39.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.7K

$10.81 CLP 10.6K

29.88%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$2.02 CLP 1,991

101.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,757

$1.51 CLP 1,486

-0.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,913

$1.60 CLP 1,580

35.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,333

$1.69 CLP 1,661

36.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,132

$1.07 CLP 1,051

80.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,212

$1.48 CLP 1,460

10.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,582

$1.18 CLP 1,166

-4.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,966

$0.89 CLP 874

40.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.7K

$5.36 CLP 5,279

-25.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.5K

$5.92 CLP 5,832

125.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,400

$1.55 CLP 1,523

9.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,548

$2.40 CLP 2,367

-1.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,839

$0.70 CLP 694

72.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 243.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,192

$0.39 CLP 387

238.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,795

$0.88 CLP 870

143.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.9K

$11.83 CLP 11.7K

-28.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,127

$1.35 CLP 1,330

-3.70%

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

$28.0K COP 89.0M

$17.5K CLP 17.3M

59.59%

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

$35.4K COP 112.6M

$21.9K CLP 21.6M

61.63%

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

$172 COP 547.3K

$152 CLP 149.4K

13.42%

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

$13.37 COP 42.5K

$10.34 CLP 10.2K

29.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.4K

$18.80 CLP 18.5K

52.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.9K

$20.62 CLP 20.3K

119.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.2K

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 20.0K

$7.36 CLP 7,248

-14.67%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$416 CLP 410.1K

84.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.7M

$11.0K CLP 10.8M

-17.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.8K

$49.98 CLP 49.2K

72.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.7K

$28.82 CLP 28.4K

98.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 434.3K

$35.90 CLP 35.4K

280.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 311.4K

$46.51 CLP 45.8K

110.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.4M

$428 CLP 421.6K

146.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$311 CLP 306.8K

97.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$692 CLP 682.0K

173.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.3M

$407 CLP 400.9K

151.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

5.39

102.97%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Curico: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Curico

$311 31.9% 49.4% $304

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Curico

$226 23.2% 23.3% $69

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Curico

$181 18.5% 15.5% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Curico

$73 7.4% 57.4% $98

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Curico

$142 14.5% 15.8% $27

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Curico

$7.6 * 0.8% 91.8% $86

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Curico

$35 3.6% 38.9% $22

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,055 in Medellin and $428 in Curico. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Medellin vs $46.00 in Curico. Groceries flip the comparison at $295 vs $226, with Curico cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇱 Curico

🕒 Local time

19:01 7:01 PM

21:01 9:01 PM

2 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

125,275

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.15 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.07 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CLP, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 3,181 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,561 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 985 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,103 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.07 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Medellin Curico 4,610 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Curico

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 Curico: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Curico is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 65% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,421 in Medellin and $1,464 in Curico 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 $428 in Curico. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $770 in Medellin versus $416 in Curico. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Curico – a meal for two runs $46.00 versus $46.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $976 in Curico versus $1,614 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Curico but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Curico the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Curico 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 Curico gentler on the wallet – expenses run 65% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.