Cost of Living Comparison Between Butare and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Butare and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $476 in Butare versus $1,034 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $734 in Butare versus $1,577 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $993 in Butare versus $2,120 in Medellin.

Living in Butare costs roughly 54% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Butare 64% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.78 RWF 2,599

$5.92 COP 21.5K

-69.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.03 RWF 30.7K

$32.75 COP 119.1K

-35.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.48 RWF 8,013

$7.20 COP 26.2K

-23.89%

Cappuccino

$1.71 RWF 2,503

$1.70 COP 6,186

0.59%

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

$0.53 RWF 778

$1.10 COP 3,996

-51.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 RWF 532

$0.72 COP 2,625

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.66 RWF 969

$1.67 COP 6,067

-60.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 RWF 1,481

$3.10 COP 11.3K

-67.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.40 RWF 577

$1.06 COP 3,837

-62.26%

White Bread (500g)

$0.90 RWF 1,320

$1.25 COP 4,531

-28.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.96 RWF 1,401

$1.39 COP 5,060

-30.94%

Eggs

$1.47 RWF 2,149

$2.26 COP 8,229

-34.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.28 RWF 3,324

$4.33 COP 15.8K

-47.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.01 RWF 4,396

$5.84 COP 21.2K

-48.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$2.78 RWF 4,056

$8.83 COP 32.1K

-68.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.22 RWF 3,240

$2.24 COP 8,159

-0.89%

Banana (1kg)

$0.88 RWF 1,282

$1.08 COP 3,911

-18.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.17 RWF 1,714

$1.53 COP 5,563

-23.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.78 RWF 1,147

$1.37 COP 4,987

-43.07%

Potato (1kg)

$0.34 RWF 499

$1.13 COP 4,109

-69.91%

Onion (1kg)

$0.43 RWF 626

$1.12 COP 4,067

-61.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 RWF 509

$0.85 COP 3,080

-58.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 RWF 844

$0.91 COP 3,305

-36.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.25 RWF 1,833

$2.33 COP 8,477

-46.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.35 RWF 15.1K

$11.13 COP 40.5K

-7.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 RWF 1,312

$1.19 COP 4,342

-24.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 RWF 2,002

$2.37 COP 8,617

-42.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 RWF 428

$0.79 COP 2,859

-63.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.97 RWF 14.6K

$41.13 COP 149.6K

-75.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.12 RWF 3,095

$1.44 COP 5,223

47.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 RWF 1,323

$1.91 COP 6,952

-52.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.92 RWF 5,725

$8.02 COP 29.2K

-51.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.71 RWF 1,042

$0.94 COP 3,410

-24.47%

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

$16.6K RWF 24.3M

$17.9K COP 65.2M

-7.11%

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

$8,748 RWF 12.8M

$26.8K COP 97.4M

-67.35%

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

$37.09 RWF 54.2K

$84.0 COP 305.4K

-55.82%

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

$8.97 RWF 13.1K

$9.60 COP 34.9K

-6.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.85 RWF 26.1K

$24.16 COP 87.9K

-26.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.27 RWF 36.9K

$25.88 COP 94.1K

-2.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.57 RWF 8,138

$19.04 COP 69.3K

-70.75%

Cinema Ticket

$3.44 RWF 5,026

$3.92 COP 14.2K

-12.24%

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

$93.2 RWF 136.1K

$306 COP 1.1M

-69.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,321 RWF 1.9M

$5,919 COP 21.5M

-77.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.64 RWF 19.9K

$57.9 COP 210.6K

-76.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.17 RWF 28.0K

$31.82 COP 115.7K

-39.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$24.28 RWF 35.5K

$99.9 COP 363.3K

-75.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$30.80 RWF 45.0K

$107 COP 389.7K

-71.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$207 RWF 302.3K

$487 COP 1.8M

-57.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$138 RWF 201.8K

$368 COP 1.3M

-62.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$313 RWF 456.9K

$826 COP 3.0M

-62.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$239 RWF 349.5K

$716 COP 2.6M

-66.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

16.2

13.43

20.63%

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

Last update for Butare: April 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $207 in Butare and $487 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $21.00 in Butare vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $116 vs $190 per month, with Butare 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

Butare vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Butare wins on cost – living expenses run 117% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Butare the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $714 in Butare and $1,550 in Medellin to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $207 in Butare versus $487 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Butare – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $476 per month in Butare versus $1,034 in Medellin – a 117% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $476 in Butare versus $1,034 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Butare but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Butare the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Butare delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $476 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Butare hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Butare 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 Butare gentler on the wallet – expenses run 117% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.