Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Quellón

For one person, living is cheaper in Quellón: $556 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $13,000 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

Quellón

🇨🇱 Chile

$556

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Quellón

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $556 in Quellón, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Quellón $556

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $936 in Quellón, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Quellón $936

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,316 in Quellón, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Quellón $1,316

Medellin costs about 195% more than Quellón, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Quellón is 59% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.6K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.9K

$50.3 CLP 49.6K

-6.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,540

$2.54 CLP 2,513

18.50%

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

$1.80 COP 5,693

$1.23 CLP 1,218

46.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,469

$0.82 CLP 814

71.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$3.07 CLP 3,030

3.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.2K

$3.11 CLP 3,076

84.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,778

$1.20 CLP 1,182

25.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,524

$1.04 CLP 1,025

128.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,606

$1.98 CLP 1,955

-10.61%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,146

$2.75 CLP 2,717

5.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.2K

$5.97 CLP 5,894

70.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.2K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.3K

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.6K

$1.80 CLP 1,774

120.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,911

$2.19 CLP 2,159

-29.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,907

$3.49 CLP 3,451

-37.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,910

$1.77 CLP 1,750

23.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,210

$1.03 CLP 1,016

90.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,029

$2.07 CLP 2,046

-23.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,625

$0.99 CLP 975

16.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,934

$1.99 CLP 1,968

-37.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.3K

$9.15 CLP 9,038

49.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,252

$2.83 CLP 2,791

-41.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,145

$1.78 CLP 1,756

26.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,696

$0.47 CLP 464

148.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 244.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,013

$2.99 CLP 2,950

-57.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,480

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.1K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,262

$1.35 CLP 1,328

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

$34.1K COP 107.8M

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

$34.7K COP 109.7M

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

$170 COP 536.8K

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

$13.55 COP 42.9K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.8K

$30.00 CLP 29.6K

-6.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 138.3K

$50.7 CLP 50.1K

-13.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.9K

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

$797 COP 2.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.8M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 268.1K

$25.72 CLP 25.4K

229.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 183.4K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 427.1K

$50.7 CLP 50.1K

166.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 309.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$256 CLP 252.4K

372.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$200 CLP 197.9K

220.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$409 CLP 403.9K

395.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$356 CLP 351.6K

184.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

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 Quellón: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Quellón

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Quellón

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Quellón

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Quellón

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Quellón

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Quellón

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Quellón

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $256 in Quellón. 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 $50 in Quellón. Groceries tell a different story – $297 in Medellin vs $175 in Quellón – so Quellón wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇱 Quellón

🕒 Local time

03:21 3:21 AM

05:21 5:21 AM

2 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

17,552

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.16 USD

10,000 COP = 2.83 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.13 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.08 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 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,164 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,531 COP (10,000 COP = 2.83 EUR).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 987 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.01 USD). 1 EUR = 1,102 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.08 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Quellón 5,500 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Quellón

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 Quellón: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 195%, 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 $834 in Quellón. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Quellón, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $256 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Groceries cost about 69% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $50 in Quellón. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Quellón, where all-in costs run around $556, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Quellón it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $556 in Quellón to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.