Cost of Living Comparison Between Benoni and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Benoni and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,100 in Benoni versus $1,687 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,355 in Benoni versus $2,535 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,610 in Benoni versus $3,383 in Medellin.

Living in Benoni costs roughly 35% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Benoni is 20% below, Medellin is 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.10 R 163

$7.89 COP 24.2K

28.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.46 R 636

$44.53 COP 136.5K

-11.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.75 R 92.6

$9.29 COP 28.5K

-38.11%

Cappuccino

$2.35 R 37.83

$2.90 COP 8,874

-18.97%

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

$1.21 R 19.53

$1.81 COP 5,541

-33.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 R 14.32

$1.55 COP 4,741

-42.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.10 R 33.80

$3.25 COP 9,962

-35.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 R 43.95

$5.88 COP 18.0K

-53.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 R 20.53

$1.38 COP 4,230

-7.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.16 R 18.74

$2.45 COP 7,517

-52.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 R 28.08

$1.51 COP 4,617

15.23%

Eggs

$2.61 R 41.97

$2.78 COP 8,516

-6.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.50 R 137

$9.05 COP 27.7K

-6.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.98 R 80.3

$10.65 COP 32.6K

-53.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.31 R 118

$14.63 COP 44.8K

-50.03%

Apples (1kg)

$1.85 R 29.74

$3.97 COP 12.2K

-53.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 R 27.29

$1.38 COP 4,219

22.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 R 29.12

$2.30 COP 7,056

-21.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.70 R 27.36

$2.02 COP 6,185

-15.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 R 20.18

$2.09 COP 6,390

-40.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 R 20.68

$1.63 COP 4,996

-21.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.25 R 20.19

$1.08 COP 3,313

15.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 R 20.71

$1.25 COP 3,843

3.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.42 R 55.1

$4.03 COP 12.4K

-15.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.25 R 84.5

$13.47 COP 41.3K

-61.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 R 25.99

$1.60 COP 4,904

0.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 R 30.99

$3.00 COP 9,189

-36.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,611

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.9 COP 244.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.32 R 5.20

$1.61 COP 4,920

-80.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R 14.53

$2.13 COP 6,533

-57.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.88 R 240

$8.52 COP 26.1K

74.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 R 24.97

$1.35 COP 4,142

14.81%

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

$36.8K R 593.2K

$28.3K COP 86.8M

30.03%

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

$32.0K R 516.2K

$35.7K COP 109.4M

-10.22%

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

$207 R 3,330

$151 COP 463.8K

36.55%

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

$37.43 R 603

$13.10 COP 40.1K

185.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.80 R 625

$32.30 COP 99.0K

20.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.56 R 299

$46.33 COP 141.9K

-59.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.26 COP 52.9K

Cinema Ticket

$7.55 R 122

$6.43 COP 19.7K

17.42%

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

$257 R 4,140

$835 COP 2.6M

-69.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,540 R 89.2K

$8,887 COP 27.2M

-37.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.8 R 882

$89.3 COP 273.7K

-38.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.36 R 521

$55.3 COP 169.5K

-41.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 R 1,542

$137 COP 418.5K

-29.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.9 R 1,351

$109 COP 335.1K

-23.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$406 R 6,539

$952 COP 2.9M

-57.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$314 R 5,050

$668 COP 2.0M

-53.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$498 R 8,029

$2,020 COP 6.2M

-75.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 COP 3.5M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,696 COP 11.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,586 COP 4.9M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,049 R 33.0K

$625 COP 1.9M

227.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.91

10.43

4.60%

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

Last update for Benoni: August 16, 2026

Last update for Medellin: August 17, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $406 in Benoni and $952 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Benoni pays 228% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39.00 in Benoni vs $45.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $297 per month, with Benoni 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

Benoni vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Benoni and Medellin differ by about 53% in total monthly costs ($1,100 vs $1,687 including rent). Benoni is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 228% higher in Benoni, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $406 in Benoni versus $952 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,100 per month in Benoni versus $1,687 in Medellin – a 53% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,100 in Benoni versus $1,687 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Benoni but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Benoni 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.

Safety-wise, Benoni and Medellin are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Benoni gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.