Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Villa Alemana

For one person, living is cheaper in Villa Alemana: $606 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $12,400 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
29

Cost of Living Index in Villa Alemana
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Villa Alemana Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Villa Alemana

🇨🇱 Chile

$606

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Villa Alemana

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $606 in Villa Alemana, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Villa Alemana $606

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $996 in Villa Alemana, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Villa Alemana $996

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,386 in Villa Alemana, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Villa Alemana $1,386

Medellin costs about 170% more than Villa Alemana, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Villa Alemana is 55% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.4K

$5.92 CLP 5,785

36.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.0K

$51.3 CLP 50.2K

-8.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 29.9K

$8.74 CLP 8,539

8.70%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,485

$1.30 CLP 1,269

131.54%

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

$1.80 COP 5,660

$0.84 CLP 819

114.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,443

$1.26 CLP 1,230

11.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 9,990

$4.13 CLP 4,039

-23.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$2.06 CLP 2,009

179.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,751

$1.27 CLP 1,238

18.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,480

$1.77 CLP 1,732

34.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,573

$1.57 CLP 1,537

12.74%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,093

$3.78 CLP 3,695

-23.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.1K

$11.34 CLP 11.1K

-10.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.1K

$4.60 CLP 4,493

114.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.0K

$10.73 CLP 10.5K

30.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.5K

$1.93 CLP 1,882

105.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,883

$1.56 CLP 1,521

-0.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,867

$1.59 CLP 1,549

37.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,870

$1.74 CLP 1,704

25.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,174

$1.05 CLP 1,029

86.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,000

$1.43 CLP 1,399

11.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,604

$1.17 CLP 1,148

-1.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,911

$1.06 CLP 1,031

16.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$5.10 CLP 4,982

-22.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.0K

$6.05 CLP 5,911

126.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,221

$1.49 CLP 1,452

11.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,103

$2.32 CLP 2,267

-2.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,674

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 3,989

$0.39 CLP 380

225.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,442

$0.90 CLP 878

127.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

$11.38 CLP 11.1K

-24.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,237

$1.53 CLP 1,499

-11.76%

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

$34.1K COP 107.2M

$16.5K CLP 16.2M

105.86%

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

$25.4K CLP 24.8M

36.38%

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

$170 COP 533.7K

$144 CLP 141.0K

17.58%

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

$13.55 COP 42.6K

$12.07 CLP 11.8K

12.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.3K

$19.12 CLP 18.7K

46.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.7K

$7.55 CLP 7,375

-8.48%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$449 CLP 438.4K

77.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

$11.0K CLP 10.7M

-16.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 266.5K

$39.72 CLP 38.8K

113.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 182.3K

$20.15 CLP 19.7K

187.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 424.6K

$56.7 CLP 55.4K

137.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 307.9K

$30.26 CLP 29.6K

223.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$357 CLP 348.6K

468.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$431 CLP 421.5K

52.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

5.39

102.97%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Villa Alemana: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Villa Alemana

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Villa Alemana

$223 36.7% 25% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Villa Alemana

$175 28.9% 16.9% $36

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Villa Alemana

$122 20.2% 27.9% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Villa Alemana

$66 10.9% 60.9% $103

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Villa Alemana

$4.9 * 0.8% 94.8% $89

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Villa Alemana

$15 * 2.5% 73.8% $42

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 52% 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 $51 in Villa Alemana. Groceries tell a different story – $297 in Medellin vs $223 in Villa Alemana – so Villa Alemana wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇱 Villa Alemana

🕒 Local time

17:15 5:15 PM

19:15 7:15 PM

2 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

125,140

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.23 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.19 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 977 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,088 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.19 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Villa Alemana 4,390 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Villa Alemana

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 Villa Alemana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 170%, 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 $910 in Villa Alemana. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $51 in Villa Alemana. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 33% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Villa Alemana, where all-in costs run around $606, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Villa Alemana 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 $606 in Villa Alemana to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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