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: $1,031 in Medellin versus $955 in El Calafate.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $1,592 in El Calafate.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $2,228 in El Calafate.

Living in Medellin is roughly 8% more expensive than in El Calafate, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, El Calafate 28% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$10.37 ARS 15.3K

-40.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$33.18 ARS 49.0K

-1.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$9.22 ARS 13.6K

-20.39%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,600

$2.76 ARS 4,085

-37.68%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$1.72 ARS 2,547

-38.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$1.55 ARS 2,296

-50.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,488

$2.15 ARS 3,173

-21.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$3.01 ARS 4,454

5.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$1.27 ARS 1,874

-17.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$1.57 ARS 2,319

-17.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$2.02 ARS 2,980

-30.69%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,047

$2.19 ARS 3,235

-1.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$10.19 ARS 15.1K

-56.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$6.19 ARS 9,148

-5.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$9.36 ARS 13.8K

-7.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,426

$2.00 ARS 2,957

14.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,604

$2.16 ARS 3,193

-48.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,983

$1.31 ARS 1,929

16.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$2.54 ARS 3,753

-46.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$1.15 ARS 1,697

-1.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$1.19 ARS 1,753

-5.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$1.32 ARS 1,958

-35.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$1.49 ARS 2,203

-38.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,630

$3.15 ARS 4,662

-25.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$5.11 ARS 7,549

142.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$1.98 ARS 2,924

-39.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$3.02 ARS 4,466

-17.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,728

$0.76 ARS 1,129

10.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$1.47 ARS 2,170

-3.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$0.87 ARS 1,281

120.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$6.02 ARS 8,894

27.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$1.06 ARS 1,566

-6.60%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$27.9K ARS 41.2M

-35.31%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$30.5K ARS 45.1M

-12.80%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$66.0 ARS 97.5K

22.51%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$17.47 ARS 25.8K

-43.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$22.11 ARS 32.7K

9.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.7K

$26.57 ARS 39.3K

-5.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$13.87 ARS 20.5K

38.07%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$6.22 ARS 9,195

-36.01%

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

$305 COP 993.5K

$216 ARS 319.0K

41.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$2,690 ARS 4.0M

125.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$73.5 ARS 108.6K

-20.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$69.4 ARS 102.6K

-53.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$114 ARS 167.9K

-11.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$110 ARS 163.0K

-2.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$340 ARS 502.4K

40.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$236 ARS 348.8K

59.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$694 ARS 1.0M

21.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$533 ARS 787.1K

37.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$1,872 ARS 2.8M

71.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$1,594 ARS 2.4M

-13.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

58.5

-77.04%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Last update for El Calafate: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $340 in El Calafate. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $33.00 in El Calafate for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $231 per month, with Medellin 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 8% in total monthly costs ($1,031 vs $955 including rent). El Calafate is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,546 in Medellin and $1,433 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: $477 in Medellin versus $340 in El Calafate. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 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 $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $955 in El Calafate versus $1,031 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 8% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.