Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,252 per month in Cape Town vs $1,017 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,964 per month in Cape Town vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,676 per month in Cape Town vs $2,188 in Medellin, rent included.

Cape Town costs about 23% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Cape Town and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – Cape Town 7% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.94 R 177

$5.95 COP 20.8K

83.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.43 R 718

$33.33 COP 116.3K

33.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.16 R 83.4

$7.23 COP 25.2K

-28.63%

Cappuccino

$1.98 R 32.09

$1.63 COP 5,687

21.47%

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

$1.10 R 17.84

$1.09 COP 3,821

0.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 R 13.24

$0.73 COP 2,548

12.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.83 R 45.75

$1.74 COP 6,065

62.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 R 41.81

$3.23 COP 11.3K

-19.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 R 18.64

$1.05 COP 3,662

9.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.05 R 16.98

$1.29 COP 4,515

-18.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 R 29.75

$1.32 COP 4,617

39.39%

Eggs

$2.46 R 39.79

$2.27 COP 7,927

8.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.50 R 137

$4.35 COP 15.2K

95.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.09 R 82.2

$5.88 COP 20.5K

-13.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.61 R 123

$8.61 COP 30.0K

-11.61%

Apples (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.46

$2.25 COP 7,844

-32.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 R 23.81

$1.07 COP 3,733

37.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 R 23.54

$1.52 COP 5,322

-3.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.49

$1.42 COP 4,964

6.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.12 R 18.17

$1.17 COP 4,084

-4.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 R 19.17

$1.17 COP 4,077

1.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 R 17.64

$0.89 COP 3,096

22.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 R 15.08

$0.90 COP 3,146

3.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.13 R 50.6

$2.25 COP 7,837

39.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.10 R 98.6

$11.04 COP 38.5K

-44.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 R 21.78

$1.14 COP 3,977

18.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 R 28.02

$2.38 COP 8,301

-27.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 R 15.08

$0.84 COP 2,916

10.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.64 R 770

$41.95 COP 146.4K

13.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 R 22.93

$1.41 COP 4,912

0.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.93 R 15.11

$1.90 COP 6,634

-51.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 R 70.5

$7.75 COP 27.0K

-43.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 R 19.91

$1.01 COP 3,509

21.78%

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

$21.2K R 343.2K

$17.6K COP 61.4M

20.76%

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

$24.1K R 389.6K

$26.5K COP 92.5M

-9.04%

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

$99.9 R 1,615

$83.7 COP 292.1K

19.40%

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

$33.35 R 539

$9.45 COP 33.0K

252.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.86 R 661

$24.11 COP 84.1K

69.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.50 R 687

$25.31 COP 88.3K

67.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.95 R 129

$19.14 COP 66.8K

-58.46%

Cinema Ticket

$6.87 R 111

$4.10 COP 14.3K

67.56%

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

$213 R 3,450

$312 COP 1.1M

-31.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,342 R 86.4K

$5,993 COP 20.9M

-10.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.0 R 905

$58.0 COP 202.6K

-3.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.52 R 526

$32.56 COP 113.6K

-0.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 R 1,849

$99.6 COP 347.7K

14.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.5 R 1,350

$109 COP 378.8K

-23.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$764 R 12.4K

$482 COP 1.7M

58.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$523 R 8,452

$379 COP 1.3M

37.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 R 22.7K

$837 COP 2.9M

68.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,025 R 16.6K

$723 COP 2.5M

41.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,343 R 37.9K

$2,840 COP 9.9M

-17.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,488 R 24.1K

$1,223 COP 4.3M

21.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,641 R 26.5K

$541 COP 1.9M

203.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.77

13.43

-12.36%

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

Last update for Cape Town: June 8, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $764 in Cape Town versus $482 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 203% higher in Cape Town, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Cape Town versus $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $187 in Cape Town vs $190 in Medellin – so Cape Town wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Cape Town vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Town costs about 23% more than Medellin, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,878 per month in Cape Town and $1,525 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,252 in Cape Town and $1,017 in Medellin. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 14% less in Medellin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,017, than in Cape Town at $1,252. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Medellin costs $1,017 versus $1,252 in Cape Town. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cape Town makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.