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 $1,288 per month in Cape Town vs $1,003 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,011 per month in Cape Town vs $1,573 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,735 per month in Cape Town vs $2,143 in Medellin, rent included.

Cape Town costs about 28% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Cape Town and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – Cape Town 3% lower, Medellin 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.97 R 183

$5.91 COP 18.9K

85.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.62 R 760

$32.96 COP 105.2K

38.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.10 R 84.9

$7.43 COP 23.7K

-31.36%

Cappuccino

$2.08 R 34.57

$1.65 COP 5,276

26.06%

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

$1.10 R 18.40

$1.10 COP 3,514

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.87 R 14.52

$0.78 COP 2,491

11.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.85 R 47.54

$1.72 COP 5,484

65.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.58 R 42.97

$3.18 COP 10.1K

-18.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 R 18.55

$1.10 COP 3,521

0.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 R 18.06

$1.26 COP 4,015

-14.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.84 R 30.59

$1.38 COP 4,407

33.33%

Eggs

$2.41 R 40.16

$2.18 COP 6,950

10.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.48 R 141

$4.49 COP 14.3K

88.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.28 R 88.0

$5.79 COP 18.5K

-8.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.70 R 128

$8.97 COP 28.6K

-14.16%

Apples (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.80

$2.32 COP 7,405

-35.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.47

$1.06 COP 3,397

38.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.45 R 24.12

$1.52 COP 4,838

-4.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 R 25.31

$1.36 COP 4,327

11.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 R 18.02

$1.13 COP 3,599

-4.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 R 20.67

$1.17 COP 3,738

5.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.05 R 17.56

$0.90 COP 2,876

16.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 R 16.80

$0.90 COP 2,861

12.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.01 R 50.1

$2.23 COP 7,128

34.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.05 R 101

$12.12 COP 38.7K

-50.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 R 23.40

$1.19 COP 3,793

17.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 R 28.04

$2.48 COP 7,920

-32.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.96 R 16.01

$0.85 COP 2,723

12.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.42 R 807

$41.62 COP 132.8K

16.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 R 23.00

$1.42 COP 4,518

-2.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 R 16.75

$1.95 COP 6,223

-48.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.41 R 73.5

$7.89 COP 25.2K

-44.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 R 19.77

$0.99 COP 3,160

20.20%

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

$21.7K R 360.7K

$17.6K COP 56.2M

23.01%

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

$24.1K R 401.3K

$26.8K COP 85.5M

-10.10%

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

$98.2 R 1,635

$83.0 COP 264.9K

18.24%

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

$33.13 R 552

$9.70 COP 30.9K

241.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.84 R 680

$23.52 COP 75.0K

73.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.19 R 703

$25.26 COP 80.6K

67.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.90 R 132

$19.10 COP 60.9K

-58.64%

Cinema Ticket

$6.90 R 115

$3.95 COP 12.6K

74.68%

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

$213 R 3,544

$316 COP 1.0M

-32.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,327 R 88.7K

$5,975 COP 19.1M

-10.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.5 R 908

$60.0 COP 191.4K

-9.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.40 R 556

$31.82 COP 101.5K

4.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 R 1,919

$102 COP 324.4K

13.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.4 R 1,407

$107 COP 342.8K

-21.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$750 R 12.5K

$475 COP 1.5M

57.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$522 R 8,695

$374 COP 1.2M

39.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,411 R 23.5K

$849 COP 2.7M

66.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,024 R 17.1K

$719 COP 2.3M

42.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,304 R 38.4K

$3,265 COP 10.4M

-29.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,476 R 24.6K

$1,441 COP 4.6M

2.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,593 R 26.5K

$624 COP 2.0M

155.03%

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $750 in Cape Town versus $475 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 155% 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 $46.00 in Cape Town versus $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $188 in Cape Town vs $193 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 28% 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 $1,932 per month in Cape Town and $1,504 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 $1,288 in Cape Town and $1,003 in Medellin. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 16% 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 $1,003, than in Cape Town at $1,288. 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 $1,003 versus $1,288 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.