Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Temuco

For one person, living is cheaper in Temuco: $1,064 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Temuco
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Temuco Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Temuco

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,064

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Temuco

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,064 in Temuco, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Temuco $1,064

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,594 in Temuco, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Temuco $1,594

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,124 in Temuco, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Temuco $2,124

Medellin costs about 54% more than Temuco, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Temuco is 22% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$7.38 CLP 7,335

9.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.7K

$30.40 CLP 30.2K

54.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.6K

$7.20 CLP 7,156

31.94%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,722

$3.77 CLP 3,743

-20.16%

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

$1.80 COP 5,801

$2.17 CLP 2,152

-17.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,554

$1.05 CLP 1,044

34.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

$3.56 CLP 3,539

-10.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.5K

$3.35 CLP 3,324

71.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,869

$1.15 CLP 1,143

31.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,667

$1.61 CLP 1,602

47.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,712

$1.18 CLP 1,171

50.00%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,320

$3.46 CLP 3,432

-16.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$8.27 CLP 8,215

23.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.8K

$5.16 CLP 5,122

91.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

$8.92 CLP 8,866

56.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$2.08 CLP 2,063

90.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,005

$2.08 CLP 2,066

-25.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,039

$2.03 CLP 2,021

7.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,041

$2.01 CLP 1,994

8.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,328

$2.38 CLP 2,362

-17.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,125

$2.17 CLP 2,153

-26.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,694

$1.49 CLP 1,481

-22.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,009

$1.17 CLP 1,166

5.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$4.67 CLP 4,635

-15.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.1K

$4.72 CLP 4,692

189.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,352

$1.51 CLP 1,503

9.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,281

$2.01 CLP 1,995

12.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,766

$0.82 CLP 810

42.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.5K

$32.91 CLP 32.7K

135.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,089

$0.77 CLP 766

64.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,603

$1.48 CLP 1,474

38.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$8.85 CLP 8,792

-3.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,343

$1.30 CLP 1,291

3.85%

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

$34.1K COP 109.8M

$11.9K CLP 11.8M

186.10%

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

$34.7K COP 111.8M

$17.4K CLP 17.3M

99.44%

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

$170 COP 547.0K

$137 CLP 136.2K

23.74%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$11.31 CLP 11.2K

19.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.5K

$22.74 CLP 22.6K

23.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 140.9K

$47.54 CLP 47.2K

-8.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.4K

$45.80 CLP 45.5K

-62.47%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$4.42 CLP 4,392

56.33%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$210 CLP 208.4K

279.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$2,764 CLP 2.7M

229.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.2K

$44.54 CLP 44.2K

90.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 186.9K

$17.35 CLP 17.2K

234.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.2K

$63.5 CLP 63.0K

112.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.6K

$82.2 CLP 81.7K

19.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$385 CLP 382.7K

213.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$319 CLP 316.4K

101.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$712 CLP 707.2K

184.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$503 CLP 499.6K

101.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.4M

$1,942 CLP 1.9M

114.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$1,632 CLP 1.6M

17.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$516 CLP 512.8K

27.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.8

127.92%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Temuco: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Temuco

$319 29.9% 50.3% $323

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Temuco

$217 20.4% 26.9% $80

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Temuco

$171 16.1% 19% $40

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Temuco

$163 15.3% 3.7% $6.3

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Temuco

$93 8.8% 44.7% $76

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Temuco

$44 4.2% 52.6% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Temuco

$56 5.3% 2% $1.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $385 in Temuco. 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 27% 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 in Medellin versus $30 in Temuco. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $217 – making Temuco the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇱 Temuco

🕒 Local time

12:10 12:10 PM

14:10 2:10 PM

2 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

235,509

💱 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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Between locations

Medellin Temuco 5,010 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Temuco

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 Temuco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 54%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,596 in Temuco. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Temuco, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $385 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $30 in Temuco. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $1,064 in Temuco. That makes Temuco about 35% cheaper.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,639 in Medellin and $1,064 in Temuco, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Temuco – 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 Temuco. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.