Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Pedro de Atacama and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in San Pedro de Atacama: $1,076 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in San Pedro de Atacama
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San Pedro de Atacama Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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San Pedro de Atacama

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,076

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in San Pedro de Atacama and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in San Pedro de Atacama and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,076 per month in San Pedro de Atacama vs $1,625 in Medellin, rent included.

San Pedro de Atacama $1,076
Medellin $1,625

A couple spends around $1,633 per month in San Pedro de Atacama vs $2,412 in Medellin, rent included.

San Pedro de Atacama $1,633
Medellin $2,412

A family of three spends $2,191 per month in San Pedro de Atacama vs $3,199 in Medellin, rent included.

San Pedro de Atacama $2,191
Medellin $3,199

San Pedro de Atacama is about 34% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

San Pedro de Atacama sits 21% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.25 CLP 7,135

$8.30 COP 26.3K

-12.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.15 CLP 43.5K

$46.91 COP 148.7K

-5.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.21 CLP 8,083

$9.24 COP 29.3K

-11.15%

Cappuccino

$2.81 CLP 2,771

$3.05 COP 9,676

-7.87%

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

$1.58 CLP 1,554

$1.80 COP 5,707

-12.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 CLP 1,197

$1.38 COP 4,382

-11.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 CLP 3,539

$3.24 COP 10.3K

10.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 CLP 3,956

$5.56 COP 17.6K

-27.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 CLP 1,211

$1.50 COP 4,760

-18.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 CLP 1,441

$2.37 COP 7,508

-38.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 CLP 1,674

$1.70 COP 5,377

Eggs

$3.70 CLP 3,642

$2.96 COP 9,379

25.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.31 CLP 10.2K

$10.22 COP 32.4K

0.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.84 CLP 6,733

$9.74 COP 30.9K

-29.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.47 CLP 11.3K

$13.90 COP 44.1K

-17.48%

Apples (1kg)

$1.96 CLP 1,929

$4.13 COP 13.1K

-52.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 CLP 1,589

$1.53 COP 4,839

5.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.75 CLP 1,723

$2.22 COP 7,052

-21.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.68 CLP 1,658

$2.27 COP 7,194

-25.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 CLP 1,619

$1.99 COP 6,311

-17.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 CLP 1,518

$1.67 COP 5,285

-7.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 CLP 1,329

$1.18 COP 3,742

14.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 CLP 1,165

$1.24 COP 3,919

-4.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.06 CLP 4,986

$3.87 COP 12.3K

30.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.17 CLP 5,092

$13.78 COP 43.7K

-62.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 CLP 1,516

$1.66 COP 5,256

-7.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 CLP 2,218

$2.40 COP 7,615

-6.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 CLP 601

$1.24 COP 3,944

-50.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.71 CLP 700

$1.28 COP 4,044

-44.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 CLP 1,403

$1.35 COP 4,288

5.93%

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

$17.7K CLP 17.4M

$34.8K COP 110.2M

-49.06%

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

$19.1K CLP 18.8M

$34.7K COP 110.0M

-44.82%

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

$132 CLP 130.3K

$167 COP 528.4K

-20.55%

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

$13.60 CLP 13.4K

$13.62 COP 43.2K

-0.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$21.89 CLP 21.6K

$29.12 COP 92.3K

-24.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.84 CLP 37.3K

$45.09 COP 143.0K

-16.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.99 CLP 22.6K

$17.18 COP 54.5K

33.82%

Cinema Ticket

$5.31 CLP 5,226

$6.97 COP 22.1K

-23.82%

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

$385 CLP 379.4K

$790 COP 2.5M

-51.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,576 CLP 8.4M

$9,041 COP 28.7M

-5.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.73 CLP 47.0K

$87.8 COP 278.4K

-45.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.86 CLP 24.5K

$58.2 COP 184.4K

-57.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$62.4 CLP 61.4K

$139 COP 440.7K

-55.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.9 CLP 80.6K

$98.9 COP 313.5K

-17.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 CLP 477.4K

$1,028 COP 3.3M

-52.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 CLP 366.2K

$620 COP 2.0M

-39.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$904 CLP 889.7K

$1,881 COP 6.0M

-51.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$598 CLP 588.4K

$1,008 COP 3.2M

-40.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,312 CLP 2.3M

$3,988 COP 12.6M

-42.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.01

10.94

-54.20%

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

Last update for San Pedro de Atacama: October 18, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Pedro de Atacama

$372 34.6%

Medellin

$619 38.1% 66.5% $247

Groceries & Markets

San Pedro de Atacama

$233 21.7%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 27.8% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Pedro de Atacama

$168 15.6%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 24.7% $42

Eating Out

San Pedro de Atacama

$154 14.3%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 11.2% $17

Clothing & Footwear

San Pedro de Atacama

$98 9.1%

Medellin

$173 10.6% 76.9% $75

Sport & Entertainment

San Pedro de Atacama

$48 4.5%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 21.8% $11

Getting Around

San Pedro de Atacama

$3.2 * 0.3%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 2922% $92

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $485 in San Pedro de Atacama versus $1,028 in Medellin. 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 $44.00 in San Pedro de Atacama versus $47.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $233 vs $298 – making San Pedro de Atacama the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇱 San Pedro de Atacama

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

07:53 7:53 AM

05:53 5:53 AM

2 h behind San Pedro de Atacama

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,347

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.16 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to CLP – Chilean Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇱 Chilean Peso ($)

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).

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).

USD to CLP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Pedro de Atacama Medellin 3,340 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

San Pedro de Atacama
Medellin

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

San Pedro de Atacama vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 51%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,614 per month in San Pedro de Atacama and $2,437 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in San Pedro de Atacama, 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 $44.00 in San Pedro de Atacama and $47.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 28% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in San Pedro de Atacama, where all-in costs run around $1,076, than in Medellin at $1,625. In San Pedro de Atacama it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with San Pedro de Atacama. 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.