Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Puerto Montt

For one person, living is cheaper in Puerto Montt: $450 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $14,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Puerto Montt

🇨🇱 Chile

$450

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Puerto Montt

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $450 in Puerto Montt, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Puerto Montt $450

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $754 in Puerto Montt, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Puerto Montt $754

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,057 in Puerto Montt, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Puerto Montt $1,057

Medellin costs about 264% more than Puerto Montt, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Puerto Montt is 67% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$8.20 CLP 8,150

-1.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.7K

$35.00 CLP 34.8K

34.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.6K

$7.24 CLP 7,192

31.22%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,722

$2.76 CLP 2,742

9.06%

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

$1.80 COP 5,801

$0.87 CLP 867

106.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,554

$0.87 CLP 869

62.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.5K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,869

$1.09 CLP 1,080

38.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,667

$2.55 CLP 2,537

-6.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,712

$1.38 CLP 1,370

28.26%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,320

$3.09 CLP 3,070

-6.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$11.01 CLP 10.9K

-7.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.8K

$5.70 CLP 5,660

73.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

$7.04 CLP 6,991

98.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$1.03 CLP 1,026

285.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,005

$1.40 CLP 1,389

10.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,039

$2.65 CLP 2,634

-17.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,041

$1.74 CLP 1,726

25.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,328

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,125

$1.54 CLP 1,531

3.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,694

$1.28 CLP 1,269

-10.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,009

$1.49 CLP 1,485

-16.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$4.46 CLP 4,433

-11.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.1K

$5.40 CLP 5,360

153.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,352

$1.34 CLP 1,332

23.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,281

$1.48 CLP 1,468

52.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,766

$0.94 CLP 933

24.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,089

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,603

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,343

$1.28 CLP 1,267

5.47%

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

$34.1K COP 109.8M

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

$34.7K COP 111.8M

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

$170 COP 547.0K

$61.6 CLP 61.2K

175.41%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$11.32 CLP 11.2K

19.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.5K

$29.80 CLP 29.6K

-5.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 140.9K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$143 CLP 142.2K

456.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.2K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 186.9K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.2K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.6K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$502 CLP 498.3K

140.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.4M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Puerto Montt: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Puerto Montt

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Puerto Montt

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Puerto Montt

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Puerto Montt

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Puerto Montt

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Puerto Montt

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Puerto Montt

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $502 in Puerto Montt. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $35 in Puerto Montt. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $216 – making Puerto Montt the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇱 Puerto Montt

🕒 Local time

16:16 4:16 PM

18:16 6:16 PM

2 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

169,736

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.07 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.02 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 November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 993 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.01 USD). 1 EUR = 1,109 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.02 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Medellin Puerto Montt 5,320 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Puerto Montt

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 Puerto Montt: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 264%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $675 in Puerto Montt. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Puerto Montt, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $502 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $35 in Puerto Montt. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 37% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Puerto Montt, where all-in costs run around $450, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Puerto Montt it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Puerto Montt – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.