Cost of Living Comparison Between Addis Ababa and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Addis Ababa and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,383 in Addis Ababa versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,083 in Addis Ababa versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,783 in Addis Ababa versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Addis Ababa is roughly 37% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Addis Ababa is 3% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.55 ETB 718

$5.99 COP 21.4K

-24.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.04 ETB 5,522

$32.86 COP 117.4K

6.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.41 ETB 1,010

$7.09 COP 25.3K

-9.59%

Cappuccino

$1.24 ETB 196

$1.71 COP 6,115

-27.49%

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

$0.69 ETB 109

$1.10 COP 3,924

-37.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.43 ETB 67.7

$0.78 COP 2,781

-44.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.99 ETB 156

$1.68 COP 5,997

-41.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 ETB 468

$3.07 COP 11.0K

-3.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 ETB 228

$1.09 COP 3,906

32.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 ETB 210

$1.26 COP 4,508

5.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 ETB 343

$1.38 COP 4,922

57.25%

Eggs

$2.43 ETB 383

$2.19 COP 7,827

10.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.29 ETB 1,148

$4.40 COP 15.7K

65.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.73 ETB 2,164

$5.63 COP 20.1K

143.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.09 ETB 2,063

$8.89 COP 31.8K

47.24%

Apples (1kg)

$6.68 ETB 1,053

$2.34 COP 8,349

185.47%

Banana (1kg)

$0.98 ETB 154

$1.06 COP 3,777

-7.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ETB 345

$1.50 COP 5,374

46.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.99 ETB 157

$1.38 COP 4,924

-28.26%

Potato (1kg)

$0.68 ETB 107

$1.15 COP 4,111

-40.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 ETB 286

$1.16 COP 4,155

56.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 ETB 108

$0.89 COP 3,182

-23.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.64 ETB 101

$0.84 COP 2,997

-23.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.02 ETB 633

$2.28 COP 8,145

76.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.77 ETB 909

$10.64 COP 38.0K

-45.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 ETB 156

$1.20 COP 4,284

-17.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 ETB 298

$2.47 COP 8,824

-23.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.43 ETB 67.9

$0.86 COP 3,056

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.21 ETB 1,925

$41.40 COP 147.9K

-70.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.48 ETB 234

$1.47 COP 5,264

0.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 ETB 42.16

$1.96 COP 7,009

-86.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 ETB 323

$7.74 COP 27.6K

-73.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 ETB 195

$0.95 COP 3,409

30.53%

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

$55.4K ETB 8.7M

$18.1K COP 64.7M

205.72%

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

$54.0K ETB 8.5M

$26.5K COP 94.6M

103.92%

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

$157 ETB 24.8K

$82.3 COP 293.7K

91.06%

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

$12.11 ETB 1,908

$9.50 COP 33.9K

27.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$129 ETB 20.3K

$24.23 COP 86.5K

431.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.5 ETB 11.0K

$25.89 COP 92.4K

168.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.71 ETB 5,786

$19.00 COP 67.9K

93.21%

Cinema Ticket

$5.86 ETB 923

$3.93 COP 14.0K

49.11%

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

$81.1 ETB 12.8K

$309 COP 1.1M

-73.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$41.1K ETB 6.5M

$5,965 COP 21.3M

588.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.81 ETB 7,377

$58.7 COP 209.5K

-20.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$74.1 ETB 11.7K

$32.35 COP 115.5K

129.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.3 ETB 14.7K

$103 COP 366.4K

-9.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 ETB 18.2K

$108 COP 387.2K

6.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$758 ETB 119.5K

$476 COP 1.7M

59.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$495 ETB 78.0K

$379 COP 1.4M

30.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,819 ETB 286.7K

$838 COP 3.0M

117.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$890 ETB 140.2K

$724 COP 2.6M

22.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,981 ETB 312.2K

$2,791 COP 10.0M

-29.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,009 ETB 159.0K

$1,211 COP 4.3M

-16.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$206 ETB 32.5K

$512 COP 1.8M

-59.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

26.58%

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

Last update for Addis Ababa: May 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $758 in Addis Ababa and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 148% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35.00 in Addis Ababa vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $265 vs $188 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

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

Addis Ababa vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Addis Ababa and Medellin differ by about 37% in total monthly costs ($1,383 vs $1,013 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Medellin earns 148% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $758 in Addis Ababa versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,383 per month in Addis Ababa versus $1,013 in Medellin – a 37% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 239% less than in Addis Ababa. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,383 in Addis Ababa, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Addis Ababa. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 37% less than in Addis Ababa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.