Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between East London and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in East London: $992 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

48

Cost of Living Index in East London
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East London Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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East London

🇿🇦 South Africa

$992

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in East London and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in East London and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $992 per month in East London vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

East London $992
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $1,611 per month in East London vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

East London $1,611
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $2,230 per month in East London vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

East London $2,230
Medellin $3,186

East London is about 40% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

East London sits 27% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.10 R 151

$8.09 COP 26.1K

12.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.23 R 636

$47.05 COP 151.9K

-18.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.57 R 92.7

$9.50 COP 30.7K

-41.37%

Cappuccino

$2.05 R 34.08

$3.01 COP 9,734

-31.89%

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

$1.04 R 17.33

$1.80 COP 5,809

-42.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 R 12.70

$1.41 COP 4,560

-46.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.69 R 44.70

$3.18 COP 10.3K

-15.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 R 53.4

$5.75 COP 18.6K

-44.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 R 19.70

$1.51 COP 4,875

-21.85%

White Bread (500g)

$0.87 R 14.54

$2.38 COP 7,677

-63.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.44 R 23.98

$1.77 COP 5,719

-18.64%

Eggs

$2.27 R 37.82

$2.89 COP 9,332

-21.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.37 R 139

$10.19 COP 32.9K

-17.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.49 R 91.4

$9.87 COP 31.9K

-44.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.71 R 112

$13.99 COP 45.2K

-52.04%

Apples (1kg)

$1.46 R 24.31

$3.97 COP 12.8K

-63.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 R 25.44

$1.55 COP 5,011

-1.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.63 R 27.17

$2.18 COP 7,047

-25.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.43 R 23.86

$2.18 COP 7,050

-34.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 R 27.89

$1.96 COP 6,336

-14.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 R 23.74

$1.59 COP 5,131

-10.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 R 19.49

$1.15 COP 3,698

1.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 R 15.82

$1.24 COP 4,014

-23.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.89 R 48.08

$3.96 COP 12.8K

-27.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.70 R 78.2

$13.68 COP 44.2K

-65.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R 19.80

$1.66 COP 5,359

-28.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 R 16.38

$2.26 COP 7,290

-56.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.47 R 24.53

$1.17 COP 3,770

25.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.85 R 779

$77.4 COP 249.8K

-39.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.22 R 20.31

$1.27 COP 4,094

-3.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 R 7.59

$2.05 COP 6,611

-77.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.38 R 139

$8.55 COP 27.6K

-1.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 R 22.45

$1.35 COP 4,348

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

$34.7K R 576.8K

$34.1K COP 110.0M

1.77%

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

$29.3K R 487.2K

$34.7K COP 111.9M

-15.54%

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

$122 R 2,034

$170 COP 547.7K

-27.92%

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

$32.64 R 543

$13.55 COP 43.7K

140.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.35 R 738

$28.07 COP 90.6K

58.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.51 R 657

$43.70 COP 141.1K

-9.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

Cinema Ticket

$4.54 R 75.6

$6.91 COP 22.3K

-34.30%

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

$177 R 2,947

$797 COP 2.6M

-77.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,438 R 90.5K

$9,112 COP 29.4M

-40.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 R 946

$84.7 COP 273.5K

-32.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.80 R 546

$58.0 COP 187.1K

-43.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.1 R 1,216

$135 COP 435.7K

-45.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.2 R 1,583

$97.9 COP 316.0K

-2.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$290 R 4,831

$1,208 COP 3.9M

-75.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$251 R 4,169

$642 COP 2.1M

-60.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$543 R 9,028

$2,028 COP 6.5M

-73.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$633 R 10.5K

$1,012 COP 3.3M

-37.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,664 R 27.7K

$657 COP 2.1M

153.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

0.55%

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

Last update for East London: October 24, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

East London

$251 25.3%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 156% $391

Monthly Utilities & Internet

East London

$199 20.1%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 6% $12

Groceries & Markets

East London

$180 18.1%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 65.3% $117

Eating Out

East London

$141 14.2%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 20.2% $28

Clothing & Footwear

East London

$116 11.7%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 45.6% $53

Getting Around

East London

$56 5.7%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 66.3% $37

Sport & Entertainment

East London

$49 4.9%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 18.4% $8.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $290 in East London versus $1,208 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 in East London are about 2.5 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38 in East London versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $180 vs $297 – making East London the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 East London

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

10:19 10:19 AM

03:19 3:19 AM

7 h behind East London

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

267,007

2,486,723

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.01 USD

100 ZAR = 5.37 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 16.64 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.01 USD). 1 EUR = 18.63 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.37 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,615 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

East London Medellin 11,640 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

East London
Medellin

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

East London vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $992 in East London, $1,639 in Medellin – East London comes out roughly 40% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,487 per month in East London and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in East London, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $290 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Kindergarten costs $177 per month in East London and $797 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 65% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in East London, where all-in costs run around $992, than in Medellin at $1,639. In East London it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward East London – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, East London is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 40% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.