Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and El Calafate Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and El Calafate

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,716 in Medellin versus $969 in El Calafate.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,527 in Medellin versus $1,588 in El Calafate.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,338 in Medellin versus $2,207 in El Calafate.

Living in Medellin is roughly 77% more expensive than in El Calafate, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, El Calafate is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.2K

$10.49 ARS 15.8K

-23.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 151.7K

$33.47 ARS 50.5K

44.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.7K

$9.23 ARS 13.9K

5.85%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,149

$2.78 ARS 4,186

4.68%

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

$1.94 COP 6,110

$1.64 ARS 2,472

18.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,783

$1.56 ARS 2,360

-2.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,721

$2.07 ARS 3,127

49.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 18.1K

$2.93 ARS 4,415

95.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,287

$1.30 ARS 1,957

4.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,505

$1.57 ARS 2,361

52.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,346

$2.02 ARS 3,045

-15.84%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 9,021

$2.27 ARS 3,421

26.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.2K

$9.96 ARS 15.0K

-0.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.9K

$6.38 ARS 9,627

68.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.3K

$9.11 ARS 13.7K

61.69%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$1.95 ARS 2,948

109.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,940

$2.05 ARS 3,087

-23.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,682

$1.26 ARS 1,894

69.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,959

$2.57 ARS 3,876

-14.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,435

$1.19 ARS 1,798

72.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,728

$1.20 ARS 1,816

25.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,740

$1.32 ARS 1,995

-9.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,640

$1.44 ARS 2,167

-19.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$3.10 ARS 4,671

25.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.4K

$5.01 ARS 7,564

188.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,978

$2.01 ARS 3,028

-21.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,889

$3.06 ARS 4,611

-7.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,672

$0.78 ARS 1,176

50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 244.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,038

$1.47 ARS 2,223

-12.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,576

$0.92 ARS 1,390

127.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 27.1K

$5.90 ARS 8,904

46.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,080

$1.07 ARS 1,609

21.50%

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

$27.7K COP 86.9M

$27.3K ARS 41.2M

1.19%

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

$35.5K COP 111.6M

$30.3K ARS 45.7M

17.11%

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

$176 COP 553.4K

$65.8 ARS 99.2K

167.62%

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

$13.37 COP 42.0K

$17.07 ARS 25.7K

-21.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 94.0K

$22.38 ARS 33.8K

33.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 140.7K

$26.00 ARS 39.2K

72.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.6K

$13.99 ARS 21.1K

21.94%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.5K

$6.21 ARS 9,373

-0.16%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$216 ARS 325.3K

267.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.4M

$2,691 ARS 4.1M

235.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 269.1K

$73.0 ARS 110.1K

17.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 183.8K

$69.3 ARS 104.5K

-15.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 428.4K

$113 ARS 171.1K

20.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 324.1K

$112 ARS 169.6K

-8.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$331 ARS 499.4K

220.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$233 ARS 351.0K

192.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$672 ARS 1.0M

199.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$540 ARS 814.1K

116.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.9M

$1,870 ARS 2.8M

119.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$1,596 ARS 2.4M

6.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

58.5

-81.30%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Last update for El Calafate: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,060 in Medellin and $331 in El Calafate. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $33.00 in El Calafate for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $230 per month, with El Calafate 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 El Calafate: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and El Calafate differ by about 77% in total monthly costs ($1,716 vs $969 including rent). El Calafate is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,574 in Medellin and $1,453 in El Calafate 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 $331 in El Calafate. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $793 in Medellin versus $216 in El Calafate. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in El Calafate – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $969 in El Calafate versus $1,716 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in El Calafate but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes El Calafate 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 El Calafate gentler on the wallet – expenses run 77% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.