Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Vina del Mar

For one person, living is cheaper in Vina del Mar: $1,062 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 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 Vina del Mar
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Vina del Mar Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Vina del Mar

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,062

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Vina del Mar

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 Vina del Mar actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $1,062 in Vina del Mar, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Vina del Mar $1,062

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $1,710 in Vina del Mar, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Vina del Mar $1,710

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $2,357 in Vina del Mar, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Vina del Mar $2,357

Medellin costs about 52% more than Vina del Mar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Vina del Mar is 21% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$8.36 CLP 8,230

-5.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$58.4 CLP 57.5K

-21.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$7.82 CLP 7,699

21.48%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$3.50 CLP 3,442

-11.14%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$1.42 CLP 1,394

28.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$1.09 CLP 1,073

26.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$3.56 CLP 3,508

-14.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$3.41 CLP 3,356

61.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$1.31 CLP 1,292

10.69%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$1.18 CLP 1,166

100.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$1.64 CLP 1,618

2.44%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$3.51 CLP 3,454

-18.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$9.66 CLP 9,505

5.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$5.13 CLP 5,053

85.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$12.02 CLP 11.8K

16.81%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$1.51 CLP 1,490

169.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$1.79 CLP 1,763

-16.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$1.29 CLP 1,270

68.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$1.11 CLP 1,091

108.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$1.55 CLP 1,525

24.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$1.26 CLP 1,241

30.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$0.98 CLP 966

15.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$1.24 CLP 1,223

0.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$4.88 CLP 4,801

-18.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$7.28 CLP 7,171

83.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$1.75 CLP 1,727

-2.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$2.15 CLP 2,121

10.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

$0.52 CLP 514

132.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

$38.66 CLP 38.1K

97.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$1.49 CLP 1,469

-11.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

$1.25 CLP 1,228

71.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$12.33 CLP 12.1K

-31.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$1.36 CLP 1,338

-4.41%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$18.3K CLP 18.0M

53.03%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$17.4K CLP 17.2M

102.95%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$108 CLP 106.3K

59.37%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$14.92 CLP 14.7K

-10.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$17.68 CLP 17.4K

62.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

$44.29 CLP 43.6K

2.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

$23.63 CLP 23.3K

-27.89%

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$6.06 CLP 5,965

3.63%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$497 CLP 489.5K

54.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$5,087 CLP 5.0M

77.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$43.11 CLP 42.4K

100.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$33.47 CLP 32.9K

70.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$55.2 CLP 54.3K

147.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$85.8 CLP 84.5K

14.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$468 CLP 460.8K

125.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$333 CLP 328.0K

84.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$836 CLP 823.0K

126.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

$619 CLP 609.3K

65.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$2,379 CLP 2.3M

70.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

$1,525 CLP 1.5M

10.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

$1,075 CLP 1.1M

-39.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.83

126.50%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Vina del Mar: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Vina del Mar

$333 31.4% 45.9% $283

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Vina del Mar

$219 20.6% 25.7% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Vina del Mar

$141 13.2% 34.4% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Vina del Mar

$98 9.2% 42.4% $72

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Vina del Mar

$167 15.7% 0.8% $1.4

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Vina del Mar

$48 4.6% 48% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Vina del Mar

$56 5.3% 2.4% $1.4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $468 in Vina del Mar. 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 65% higher in Vina del Mar, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin versus $58.0 in Vina del Mar. Groceries tell a different story – $295 in Medellin vs $219 in Vina del Mar – so Vina del Mar wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇱 Vina del Mar

🕒 Local time

12:28 12:28 PM

14:28 2:28 PM

2 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

332,875

💱 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 17, 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 17, 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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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Vina del Mar 4,390 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Vina del Mar

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 Vina del Mar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 52%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $1,594 in Vina del Mar. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Vina del Mar, 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 $46.00 in Medellin and $58.0 in Vina del Mar. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,614 in Medellin and $1,062 in Vina del Mar. That's a gap of about 52%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Vina del Mar, where all-in costs run around $1,062, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Vina del Mar it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Vina del Mar – 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 Vina del Mar. 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.