Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Eldoret and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Eldoret: $505 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Eldoret
🇰🇪 Kenya
$505
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,614
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Eldoret 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 Eldoret and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $505 in Eldoret versus $1,614 in Medellin.

  • Eldoret $505
  • Medellin $1,614

Estimated couple costs with rent: $869 in Eldoret versus $2,402 in Medellin.

  • Eldoret $869
  • Medellin $2,402

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,233 in Eldoret versus $3,190 in Medellin.

  • Eldoret $1,233
  • Medellin $3,190

Living in Eldoret costs roughly 69% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Eldoret is 63% below, Medellin is 20% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Eldoret
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$1.52 KES 198
$7.93 COP 25.2K
-80.83%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$34.76 KES 4,507
$46.13 COP 146.3K
-24.65%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.21 KES 805
$9.50 COP 30.1K
-34.63%
Cappuccino
$2.59 KES 336
$3.11 COP 9,866
-16.72%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.30 KES 38.85
$1.83 COP 5,800
-83.61%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.41 KES 52.6
$1.38 COP 4,360
-70.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.28 KES 296
$3.05 COP 9,672
-25.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.69 KES 348
$5.50 COP 17.4K
-51.09%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Eldoret
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.72 KES 93.4
$1.45 COP 4,600
-50.34%
White Bread (500g)
$0.49 KES 63.9
$2.36 COP 7,496
-79.24%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.56 KES 203
$1.68 COP 5,328
-7.14%
Eggs
$1.56 KES 203
$2.86 COP 9,077
-45.45%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$3.79 KES 491
$10.19 COP 32.3K
-62.81%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.16 KES 539
$9.53 COP 30.2K
-56.35%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$4.34 KES 563
$14.04 COP 44.5K
-69.09%
Apples (1kg)
$2.27 KES 295
$4.07 COP 12.9K
-44.23%
Banana (1kg)
$1.10 KES 143
$1.50 COP 4,742
-26.67%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.72 KES 93.6
$2.17 COP 6,891
-66.82%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.92 KES 119
$2.31 COP 7,310
-60.17%
Potato (1kg)
$0.56 KES 72.9
$1.93 COP 6,113
-70.98%
Onion (1kg)
$0.45 KES 58.0
$1.64 COP 5,196
-72.56%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.69 KES 89.7
$1.13 COP 3,571
-38.94%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.63 KES 81.6
$1.25 COP 3,954
-49.60%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.44 KES 447
$3.99 COP 12.6K
-13.78%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.70 KES 739
$13.35 COP 42.3K
-57.30%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.09 KES 271
$1.70 COP 5,384
22.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.53 KES 198
$2.37 COP 7,525
-35.44%
🚌 Getting Around
Eldoret
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.41 KES 183
$1.21 COP 3,827
16.53%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$76.5 COP 242.5K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.58 KES 204
$1.32 COP 4,179
19.70%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.52 KES 198
$2.14 COP 6,774
-28.97%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.97 KES 385
$8.47 COP 26.8K
-64.94%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.54 KES 199
$1.30 COP 4,114
18.46%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.8K KES 2.8M
$28.0K COP 88.7M
-22.26%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$20.0K KES 2.6M
$35.4K COP 112.3M
-43.62%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Eldoret
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$39.37 KES 5,105
$172 COP 545.6K
-77.12%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.13 KES 1,962
$13.37 COP 42.4K
13.16%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$35.19 KES 4,562
$28.73 COP 91.1K
22.49%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Eldoret
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$38.92 KES 5,045
$45.24 COP 143.5K
-13.97%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$17.04 COP 54.0K
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.54 KES 978
$6.28 COP 19.9K
20.06%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Eldoret
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$63.5 KES 8,232
$770 COP 2.4M
-91.76%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.3K KES 1.6M
$9,011 COP 28.6M
36.29%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Eldoret
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$11.52 KES 1,494
$86.4 COP 274.0K
-86.67%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.96 KES 3,754
$57.1 COP 181.1K
-49.31%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$19.43 KES 2,519
$137 COP 432.9K
-85.77%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$35.06 KES 4,545
$97.9 COP 310.4K
-64.19%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Eldoret
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$93.2 KES 12.1K
$1,055 COP 3.3M
-91.17%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$89.1 KES 11.5K
$616 COP 2.0M
-85.54%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,892 COP 6.0M
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$269 KES 34.8K
$1,023 COP 3.2M
-73.73%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$609 KES 78.9K
$4,059 COP 12.9M
-85.01%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,678 COP 5.3M
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Eldoret
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$652 COP 2.1M
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
14.71
10.94
34.46%

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

Last update for Eldoret: October 11, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Eldoret
$133
Medellin
$295 121% $162
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Eldoret
$90
Medellin
$214 139% $124
Accommodation & Living
Eldoret
$89
Medellin
$616 591% $527
Eating Out
Eldoret
$81
Medellin
$168 107% $87
Sport & Entertainment
Eldoret
$54
Medellin
$58 7.1% $3.8
Clothing & Footwear
Eldoret
$43
Medellin
$170 298% $127
Getting Around
Eldoret
$15 *
Medellin
$93 529% $78

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $93.2 in Eldoret and $1,055 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $35.00 in Eldoret vs $46.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $133 vs $295 per month, with Eldoret cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇰🇪 Eldoret
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
08:10 8:10 AM
00:10 12:10 AM
8 h behind Eldoret
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
193,830
2,486,723
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to KES – Kenyan Shilling Converter

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.71 USD). 1 EUR = 146 KES (1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Eldoret Medellin 12,310 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Eldoret
  • 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
Eldoret vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Eldoret or Medellin?
Eldoret wins on cost – living expenses run 220% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Eldoret the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Eldoret and in Medellin?
You'd need roughly $757 in Eldoret and $2,421 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Eldoret compared to Medellin?
Rent for a central apartment: $93.2 in Eldoret versus $1,055 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Eldoret or in Medellin?
Supermarket bills run roughly 121% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How much does it cost to live in Eldoret compared to Medellin?
All in, you'll spend $505 per month in Eldoret versus $1,614 in Medellin – a 220% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Eldoret or in Medellin?
At $505 in Eldoret versus $1,614 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Eldoret but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Eldoret the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Eldoret or Medellin?
Both work as nomad bases, but Eldoret delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $505 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Eldoret hard to pass up.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Eldoret gentler on the wallet – expenses run 220% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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