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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $953 in El Calafate.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,554 in El Calafate.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $2,156 in El Calafate.

Living in Medellin is roughly 6% more expensive than El Calafate, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, El Calafate 29% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$10.44 ARS 15.0K

-42.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.2K

$33.71 ARS 48.5K

-2.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$9.11 ARS 13.1K

-22.17%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,105

$2.74 ARS 3,948

-37.59%

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

$1.10 COP 3,918

$1.71 ARS 2,462

-35.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,776

$1.54 ARS 2,210

-49.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,987

$2.15 ARS 3,096

-21.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 10.9K

$2.95 ARS 4,238

4.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,899

$1.25 ARS 1,798

-12.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,500

$1.63 ARS 2,341

-22.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,914

$2.05 ARS 2,946

-32.68%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,813

$2.27 ARS 3,264

-3.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$10.21 ARS 14.7K

-56.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$6.09 ARS 8,764

-7.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.7K

$9.39 ARS 13.5K

-5.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,334

$1.97 ARS 2,829

18.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,771

$2.09 ARS 3,000

-49.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,365

$1.31 ARS 1,883

14.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,915

$2.62 ARS 3,762

-47.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,104

$1.18 ARS 1,695

-2.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,148

$1.24 ARS 1,789

-6.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,176

$1.31 ARS 1,890

-32.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,992

$1.45 ARS 2,080

-42.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,131

$3.08 ARS 4,430

-25.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 37.9K

$5.14 ARS 7,397

107.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,276

$2.07 ARS 2,982

-42.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,809

$3.17 ARS 4,565

-22.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,051

$0.78 ARS 1,123

10.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,255

$1.54 ARS 2,217

-4.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 6,997

$0.88 ARS 1,261

122.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$6.16 ARS 8,855

25.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,403

$1.09 ARS 1,568

-12.84%

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

$18.1K COP 64.6M

$27.6K ARS 39.7M

-34.24%

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

$26.5K COP 94.4M

$30.9K ARS 44.4M

-14.17%

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

$82.3 COP 293.2K

$67.7 ARS 97.3K

21.55%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$17.29 ARS 24.9K

-45.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.4K

$22.23 ARS 32.0K

9.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.3K

$26.54 ARS 38.2K

-2.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.7K

$13.72 ARS 19.7K

38.48%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$6.08 ARS 8,745

-35.36%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$217 ARS 312.5K

42.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$2,719 ARS 3.9M

119.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.1K

$75.1 ARS 108.1K

-21.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.3K

$70.6 ARS 101.6K

-54.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 365.7K

$113 ARS 163.0K

-9.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 386.5K

$111 ARS 160.2K

-2.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$336 ARS 482.7K

41.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$238 ARS 342.1K

59.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$686 ARS 987.5K

22.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$538 ARS 774.3K

34.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

$1,864 ARS 2.7M

49.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$1,588 ARS 2.3M

-23.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for El Calafate: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $336 in El Calafate. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $34.00 in El Calafate for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $232 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 6% in total monthly costs ($1,013 vs $953 including rent). El Calafate is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,519 in Medellin and $1,429 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: $476 in Medellin versus $336 in El Calafate. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $217 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 $34.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $953 in El Calafate versus $1,013 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 6% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.