Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Valparaiso and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Valparaiso: $1,075 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in Valparaiso
Learn more

Valparaiso Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index

Jump to prices

Valparaiso

🇨🇱 Chile

$1,075

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Valparaiso 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 Valparaiso and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,075 per month in Valparaiso vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Valparaiso $1,075
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $1,582 per month in Valparaiso vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Valparaiso $1,582
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $2,090 per month in Valparaiso vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Valparaiso $2,090
Medellin $3,186

Valparaiso is about 34% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.94 CLP 8,882

$8.09 COP 26.1K

10.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.36 CLP 35.1K

$47.05 COP 151.7K

-24.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.54 CLP 8,482

$9.50 COP 30.6K

-10.11%

Cappuccino

$2.75 CLP 2,728

$3.01 COP 9,722

-8.64%

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

$1.18 CLP 1,170

$1.80 COP 5,801

-34.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 CLP 822

$1.41 COP 4,554

-41.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.92 CLP 3,890

$3.18 COP 10.2K

23.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 CLP 4,400

$5.75 COP 18.5K

-22.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 CLP 1,227

$1.51 COP 4,869

-18.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 CLP 1,791

$2.38 COP 7,667

-24.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 CLP 1,559

$1.77 COP 5,712

-11.30%

Eggs

$3.81 CLP 3,788

$2.89 COP 9,320

31.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.96 CLP 10.9K

$10.19 COP 32.9K

7.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.74 CLP 6,698

$9.87 COP 31.8K

-31.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.80 CLP 8,740

$13.99 COP 45.1K

-37.10%

Apples (1kg)

$1.66 CLP 1,649

$3.97 COP 12.8K

-58.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 CLP 1,539

$1.55 COP 5,005

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 CLP 1,513

$2.18 COP 7,039

-30.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 CLP 1,499

$2.18 COP 7,041

-30.73%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 CLP 920

$1.96 COP 6,328

-52.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 CLP 1,231

$1.59 COP 5,125

-22.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 CLP 1,179

$1.15 COP 3,694

3.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 CLP 1,104

$1.24 COP 4,009

-10.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.17 CLP 4,138

$3.96 COP 12.8K

5.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.10 CLP 5,064

$13.68 COP 44.1K

-62.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 CLP 1,310

$1.66 COP 5,352

-20.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 CLP 1,762

$2.26 COP 7,281

-21.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.58 CLP 581

$1.17 COP 3,766

-50.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 CLP 49.7K

$77.4 COP 249.5K

-35.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.42 CLP 417

$1.27 COP 4,089

-66.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.83 CLP 823

$2.05 COP 6,603

-59.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.44 CLP 3,414

$8.55 COP 27.6K

-59.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 CLP 1,404

$1.35 COP 4,343

4.44%

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

$14.3K CLP 14.2M

$34.1K COP 109.8M

-58.11%

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

$18.6K CLP 18.5M

$34.7K COP 111.8M

-46.28%

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

$117 CLP 115.8K

$170 COP 547.0K

-31.26%

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

$11.94 CLP 11.9K

$13.55 COP 43.7K

-11.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.86 CLP 18.7K

$28.07 COP 90.5K

-32.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.53 CLP 24.4K

$43.70 COP 140.9K

-43.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.75 CLP 22.6K

$17.19 COP 55.4K

32.34%

Cinema Ticket

$7.24 CLP 7,191

$6.91 COP 22.3K

4.78%

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

$438 CLP 434.7K

$797 COP 2.6M

-45.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K CLP 10.8M

$9,112 COP 29.4M

18.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.44 CLP 31.2K

$84.7 COP 273.2K

-62.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.41 CLP 27.2K

$58.0 COP 186.9K

-52.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.0 CLP 53.6K

$135 COP 435.2K

-60.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.80 CLP 48.5K

$97.9 COP 315.6K

-50.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 CLP 461.1K

$1,208 COP 3.9M

-61.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$373 CLP 370.1K

$642 COP 2.1M

-41.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$676 CLP 671.7K

$2,028 COP 6.5M

-66.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$532 CLP 528.8K

$1,012 COP 3.3M

-47.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,526 CLP 1.5M

$4,170 COP 13.4M

-63.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$991 CLP 984.1K

$1,910 COP 6.2M

-48.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$725 CLP 720.2K

$657 COP 2.1M

10.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

10.94

-50.73%

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

Last update for Valparaiso: October 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Valparaiso

$373 34.7%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 72.2% $269

Groceries & Markets

Valparaiso

$220 20.5%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 35.1% $77

Eating Out

Valparaiso

$167 15.5%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 1.8% $3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Valparaiso

$147 13.7%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 43.3% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Valparaiso

$73 6.8%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 132% $96

Getting Around

Valparaiso

$57 5.3%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 64.2% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Valparaiso

$39 3.6%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 47.5% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $464 in Valparaiso versus $1,208 in Medellin. 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 10% higher in Valparaiso, 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 $35 in Valparaiso versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $220 vs $297 – making Valparaiso the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Valparaiso

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

21:23 9:23 PM

19:23 7:23 PM

2 h behind Valparaiso

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

251,177

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.07 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.02 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 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 November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 993 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.01 USD). 1 EUR = 1,109 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.02 EUR).

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).

USD to CLP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Valparaiso Medellin 4,390 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Valparaiso
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

Valparaiso vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,613 per month in Valparaiso and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Valparaiso, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $464 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35 in Valparaiso and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,075 in Valparaiso and $1,639 in Medellin. That makes Valparaiso about 34% cheaper.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,075 in Valparaiso and $1,639 in Medellin, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

For expats, Valparaiso is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 34% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.