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: $861 in Gaborone versus $1,641 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,303 in Gaborone versus $2,447 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,745 in Gaborone versus $3,253 in Medellin.

Living in Gaborone costs roughly 48% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Gaborone is 38% below, Medellin is 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.38 P 149

$8.04 COP 24.8K

41.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.78 P 391

$48.29 COP 148.6K

-38.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.12 P 80.4

$9.42 COP 29.0K

-35.03%

Cappuccino

$2.33 P 30.64

$2.94 COP 9,040

-20.75%

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

$0.78 P 10.27

$1.86 COP 5,735

-58.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.45 P 5.86

$1.46 COP 4,479

-69.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.06 P 27.11

$3.21 COP 9,882

-35.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 P 33.51

$5.71 COP 17.6K

-55.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 P 20.12

$1.44 COP 4,428

6.25%

White Bread (500g)

$0.91 P 11.99

$2.40 COP 7,389

-62.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 P 24.28

$1.70 COP 5,228

8.82%

Eggs

$2.54 P 33.36

$2.89 COP 8,896

-12.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.89 P 77.4

$10.06 COP 30.9K

-41.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.75 P 62.4

$9.97 COP 30.7K

-52.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.12 P 67.2

$14.20 COP 43.7K

-63.94%

Apples (1kg)

$1.65 P 21.65

$3.98 COP 12.3K

-58.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 P 18.37

$1.58 COP 4,878

-11.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 P 27.40

$2.15 COP 6,624

-2.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.72 P 22.53

$2.30 COP 7,078

-25.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 P 18.78

$2.00 COP 6,169

-28.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 P 16.05

$1.51 COP 4,646

-19.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 P 19.18

$1.20 COP 3,701

21.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 P 12.08

$1.28 COP 3,946

-28.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.67 P 48.19

$3.84 COP 11.8K

-4.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.38 P 57.5

$14.01 COP 43.1K

-68.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 P 19.02

$1.71 COP 5,256

-15.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 P 23.16

$2.74 COP 8,440

-35.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 P 8.07

$1.25 COP 3,834

-51.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.13 P 396

$77.9 COP 239.7K

-61.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.66 P 8.63

$1.31 COP 4,016

-49.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.59 P 34.02

$2.17 COP 6,680

19.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 P 39.76

$8.29 COP 25.5K

-63.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 P 19.02

$1.36 COP 4,172

6.62%

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

$20.6K P 270.4K

$27.5K COP 84.5M

-25.07%

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

$20.9K P 274.3K

$36.5K COP 112.4M

-42.86%

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

$61.7 P 810

$169 COP 519.2K

-63.44%

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

$19.96 P 262

$13.57 COP 41.8K

47.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.97 P 551

$28.32 COP 87.2K

48.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.10 P 474

$45.71 COP 140.7K

-21.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.99 P 223

$17.22 COP 53.0K

-1.34%

Cinema Ticket

$6.50 P 85.4

$6.65 COP 20.5K

-2.26%

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

$129 P 1,696

$803 COP 2.5M

-83.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,565 P 33.7K

$9,190 COP 28.3M

-72.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.58 P 612

$87.4 COP 268.8K

-46.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.63 P 232

$59.4 COP 182.7K

-70.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.1 P 908

$139 COP 427.5K

-50.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$74.0 P 972

$102 COP 314.0K

-27.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$310 P 4,067

$1,071 COP 3.3M

-71.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$214 P 2,807

$653 COP 2.0M

-67.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$483 P 6,349

$1,925 COP 5.9M

-74.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$326 P 4,276

$1,048 COP 3.2M

-68.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,079 P 27.3K

$4,123 COP 12.7M

-49.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,269 P 16.7K

$1,697 COP 5.2M

-25.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$455 P 5,980

$655 COP 2.0M

-30.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.67

10.94

6.67%

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

Last update for Gaborone: September 7, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $310 in Gaborone and $1,071 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 44% 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 $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $175 vs $300 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, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 91% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 44% lower in Medellin. 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: $310 in Gaborone versus $1,071 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 71% 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 $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $861 in Gaborone versus $1,641 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 91% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.