Cost of Living Comparison Between Gaborone and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Gaborone and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $836 in Gaborone versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,311 in Gaborone versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,786 in Gaborone versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Gaborone costs roughly 17% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Gaborone 38% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.33 P 96.2

$5.99 COP 21.4K

22.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.91 P 392

$32.86 COP 117.2K

-8.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.92 P 77.7

$7.09 COP 25.3K

-16.50%

Cappuccino

$2.25 P 29.45

$1.71 COP 6,105

31.58%

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

$0.89 P 11.70

$1.10 COP 3,918

-19.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 P 6.65

$0.78 COP 2,776

-34.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 P 28.68

$1.68 COP 5,987

30.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 P 39.29

$3.07 COP 10.9K

-2.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 P 18.34

$1.09 COP 3,899

28.44%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 P 11.32

$1.26 COP 4,500

-31.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 P 22.86

$1.38 COP 4,914

26.09%

Eggs

$2.28 P 29.97

$2.19 COP 7,813

4.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.64 P 100

$4.40 COP 15.7K

73.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.98 P 65.4

$5.63 COP 20.1K

-11.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.47 P 71.8

$8.89 COP 31.7K

-38.47%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 P 24.02

$2.34 COP 8,334

-21.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 P 18.01

$1.06 COP 3,771

29.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 P 24.19

$1.50 COP 5,365

22.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 P 20.57

$1.38 COP 4,915

13.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.42 P 18.65

$1.15 COP 4,104

23.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 P 15.70

$1.16 COP 4,148

3.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 P 15.37

$0.89 COP 3,176

31.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 P 12.04

$0.84 COP 2,992

9.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.65 P 47.87

$2.28 COP 8,131

60.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.24 P 55.7

$10.64 COP 37.9K

-60.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 P 20.94

$1.20 COP 4,276

33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 P 27.39

$2.47 COP 8,809

-15.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 P 6.99

$0.86 COP 3,051

-38.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.23 P 397

$41.40 COP 147.6K

-26.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.58 P 7.60

$1.47 COP 5,255

-60.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.72 P 35.73

$1.96 COP 6,997

38.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 P 38.59

$7.74 COP 27.6K

-62.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 P 14.94

$0.95 COP 3,403

20.00%

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

$22.7K P 297.2K

$18.1K COP 64.6M

24.95%

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

$17.1K P 223.8K

$26.5K COP 94.4M

-35.58%

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

$70.9 P 931

$82.3 COP 293.2K

-13.76%

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

$25.80 P 338

$9.50 COP 33.9K

171.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.3 P 1,027

$24.23 COP 86.4K

223.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.13 P 435

$25.89 COP 92.3K

27.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.22 P 200

$19.00 COP 67.7K

-19.89%

Cinema Ticket

$6.62 P 86.9

$3.93 COP 14.0K

68.45%

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

$185 P 2,427

$309 COP 1.1M

-40.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,837 P 50.3K

$5,965 COP 21.3M

-35.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.61 P 546

$58.7 COP 209.1K

-29.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.02 P 315

$32.35 COP 115.3K

-25.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.9 P 982

$103 COP 365.7K

-27.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.5 P 1,292

$108 COP 386.5K

-9.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$244 P 3,199

$476 COP 1.7M

-48.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$144 P 1,882

$379 COP 1.4M

-62.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$530 P 6,955

$838 COP 3.0M

-36.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$337 P 4,425

$724 COP 2.6M

-53.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,011 P 26.4K

$2,791 COP 9.9M

-27.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,299 P 17.0K

$1,211 COP 4.3M

7.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$452 P 5,928

$512 COP 1.8M

-11.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.12

13.43

-32.09%

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

Last update for Gaborone: May 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $244 in Gaborone and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 13% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $30.00 in Gaborone vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $179 vs $188 per month, with Gaborone cheaper across the board.

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

Gaborone vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gaborone is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Medellin earns 13% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $244 in Gaborone versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Gaborone – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $836 in Gaborone versus $1,013 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Gaborone but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Gaborone the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Gaborone is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Gaborone and Medellin are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Gaborone gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.