Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Puerto Varas

For one person, living is cheaper in Puerto Varas: $1,133 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Puerto Varas
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Puerto Varas Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Puerto Varas

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,133

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $1,625 per month in Medellin vs $1,133 in Puerto Varas, rent included.

Medellin $1,625
Puerto Varas $1,133

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Medellin vs $1,620 in Puerto Varas, rent included.

Medellin $2,412
Puerto Varas $1,620

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Medellin vs $2,107 in Puerto Varas, rent included.

Medellin $3,199
Puerto Varas $2,107

Medellin costs about 43% more than Puerto Varas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Puerto Varas is 16% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$12.04 CLP 11.9K

-31.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$40.38 CLP 39.7K

16.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$7.80 CLP 7,676

18.46%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$3.25 CLP 3,195

-6.15%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$0.99 CLP 975

81.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$0.83 CLP 817

66.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$1.10 CLP 1,082

36.36%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$1.88 CLP 1,850

26.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$1.56 CLP 1,533

8.97%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$3.06 CLP 3,007

-3.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$8.52 CLP 8,384

19.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$4.70 CLP 4,623

107.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$8.94 CLP 8,798

55.48%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$1.69 CLP 1,667

144.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$1.98 CLP 1,954

-22.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$2.50 CLP 2,461

-11.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$1.90 CLP 1,873

19.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$1.56 CLP 1,532

27.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$1.21 CLP 1,186

38.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$1.32 CLP 1,295

-10.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$1.14 CLP 1,117

8.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$5.16 CLP 5,077

-25.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

$4.50 CLP 4,434

206.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$1.43 CLP 1,403

16.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$1.22 CLP 1,200

96.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

$1.10 CLP 1,081

12.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$251 CLP 246.9K

-33.56%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$16.43 CLP 16.2K

-17.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

$31.04 CLP 30.6K

45.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$504 CLP 496.0K

56.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

$6,079 CLP 6.0M

48.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$20.68 CLP 20.4K

324.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$15.05 CLP 14.8K

286.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$60.7 CLP 59.7K

129.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$603 CLP 593.5K

70.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$413 CLP 406.4K

50.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$811 CLP 797.9K

132.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$621 CLP 611.8K

62.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$528 CLP 519.4K

25.73%

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 19, 2026

Last update for Puerto Varas: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Puerto Varas

$413 36.4% 33.4% $207

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Puerto Varas

$209 18.4% 30% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Puerto Varas

$267 * 23.6% 27.6% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Puerto Varas

$43 * 3.8% 74.9% $129

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Puerto Varas

$166 * 14.6% 2.8% $4.8

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Puerto Varas

$4.4 * 0.4% 95.4% $91

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Puerto Varas

$31 * 2.7% 47.4% $28

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $603 in Puerto Varas. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 26% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin versus $40.00 in Puerto Varas. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $298 vs $209 – making Puerto Varas the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇱 Puerto Varas

🕒 Local time

11:12 11:12 AM

13:12 1:12 PM

2 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

41,255

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.16 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.04 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 984 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,107 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Puerto Varas 5,300 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Puerto Varas

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 Varas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 43%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,437 per month in Medellin and $1,700 in Puerto Varas. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Puerto Varas, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin and $40.00 in Puerto Varas. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 43% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Puerto Varas, where all-in costs run around $1,133, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Puerto Varas it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

If budget matters most, go with Puerto Varas. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.