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 $1,643 per month in Cape Town vs $1,641 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,522 per month in Cape Town vs $2,447 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,400 per month in Cape Town vs $3,253 in Medellin, rent included.

Cape Town and Medellin have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Cape Town and Medellin sit above the global median – Cape Town by 19%, Medellin by 19%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.65 R 204

$8.04 COP 24.8K

57.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.67 R 800

$48.29 COP 148.6K

2.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.79 R 93.2

$9.42 COP 29.0K

-38.54%

Cappuccino

$2.57 R 41.44

$2.94 COP 9,040

-12.59%

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

$1.41 R 22.77

$1.86 COP 5,735

-24.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 R 16.19

$1.46 COP 4,479

-30.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.11 R 50.2

$3.21 COP 9,882

-3.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 R 59.0

$5.71 COP 17.6K

-35.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 R 22.39

$1.44 COP 4,428

-3.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 R 20.67

$2.40 COP 7,389

-46.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 R 34.90

$1.70 COP 5,228

27.65%

Eggs

$3.19 R 51.3

$2.89 COP 8,896

10.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.80 R 142

$10.06 COP 30.9K

-12.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.30 R 117

$9.97 COP 30.7K

-26.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.59 R 154

$14.20 COP 43.7K

-32.46%

Apples (1kg)

$1.96 R 31.57

$3.98 COP 12.3K

-50.75%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 R 32.39

$1.58 COP 4,878

27.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.79 R 28.81

$2.15 COP 6,624

-16.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 R 35.06

$2.30 COP 7,078

-5.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.08

$2.00 COP 6,169

-22.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 R 24.72

$1.51 COP 4,646

1.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.35 R 21.75

$1.20 COP 3,701

12.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R 19.15

$1.28 COP 3,946

-7.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.76 R 60.6

$3.84 COP 11.8K

-2.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.23 R 100

$14.01 COP 43.1K

-55.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 R 23.06

$1.71 COP 5,256

-16.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 R 36.20

$2.74 COP 8,440

-17.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 R 24.42

$1.25 COP 3,834

21.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.1 R 1,000

$77.9 COP 239.7K

-20.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.60 R 9.68

$1.31 COP 4,016

-54.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 R 25.56

$2.17 COP 6,680

-26.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.20 R 83.8

$8.29 COP 25.5K

-37.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 R 25.38

$1.36 COP 4,172

16.18%

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

$37.5K R 604.2K

$27.5K COP 84.5M

36.58%

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

$33.3K R 536.3K

$36.5K COP 112.4M

-8.86%

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

$122 R 1,967

$169 COP 519.2K

-27.61%

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

$31.30 R 504

$13.57 COP 41.8K

130.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.49 R 636

$28.32 COP 87.2K

39.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.6 R 815

$45.71 COP 140.7K

10.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.87 R 191

$17.22 COP 53.0K

-31.07%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 R 147

$6.65 COP 20.5K

36.84%

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

$275 R 4,434

$803 COP 2.5M

-65.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,638 R 106.9K

$9,190 COP 28.3M

-27.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.0 R 950

$87.4 COP 268.8K

-32.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.23 R 551

$59.4 COP 182.7K

-42.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 R 2,009

$139 COP 427.5K

-10.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 R 1,760

$102 COP 314.0K

7.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,063 R 17.1K

$1,071 COP 3.3M

-0.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$740 R 11.9K

$653 COP 2.0M

13.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,866 R 30.0K

$1,925 COP 5.9M

-3.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,367 R 22.0K

$1,048 COP 3.2M

30.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,415 R 38.9K

$4,123 COP 12.7M

-41.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,564 R 25.2K

$1,697 COP 5.2M

-7.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,637 R 26.4K

$655 COP 2.0M

149.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.02

10.94

0.73%

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

Last update for Cape Town: September 8, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,063 in Cape Town versus $1,071 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 150% higher in Cape Town. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Cape Town versus $48.00 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $231 in Cape Town vs $300 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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,464 per month in Cape Town and $2,462 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.

Interestingly, groceries are about 30% cheaper in Cape Town – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

Kindergarten costs $275 per month in Cape Town and $803 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,641, than in Cape Town at $1,643. 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 $1,641 versus $1,643 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.