Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Garissa and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Garissa: $381 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $14,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Garissa

🇰🇪 Kenya

$381

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $381 per month in Garissa vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

Garissa $381
Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $667 per month in Garissa vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

Garissa $667
Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $952 per month in Garissa vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

Garissa $952
Medellin $3,190

Garissa is about 76% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Garissa sits 72% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.79 KES 1,528

$7.93 COP 25.2K

48.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.02 KES 2,984

$46.13 COP 146.3K

-50.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

Cappuccino

$7.73 KES 1,002

$3.11 COP 9,866

148.55%

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

$1.88 KES 244

$1.83 COP 5,800

2.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 KES 147

$1.38 COP 4,360

-18.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

Milk (1 liter)

$0.52 KES 66.9

$1.45 COP 4,600

-64.14%

White Bread (500g)

$0.59 KES 76.9

$2.36 COP 7,496

-75.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 KES 191

$1.68 COP 5,328

-12.50%

Eggs

$1.92 KES 249

$2.86 COP 9,077

-32.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.10 KES 791

$9.53 COP 30.2K

-35.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.39 KES 698

$14.04 COP 44.5K

-61.61%

Apples (1kg)

$3.78 KES 490

$4.07 COP 12.9K

-7.13%

Banana (1kg)

$3.11 KES 403

$1.50 COP 4,742

107.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.69 KES 608

$2.17 COP 6,891

116.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.79 KES 102

$2.31 COP 7,310

-65.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.22 KES 158

$1.93 COP 6,113

-36.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 KES 204

$1.64 COP 5,196

-4.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.37 KES 307

$1.13 COP 3,571

109.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 KES 72.3

$1.25 COP 3,954

-55.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 KES 741

$13.35 COP 42.3K

-57.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 KES 217

$1.70 COP 5,384

-1.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 KES 496

$2.37 COP 7,525

61.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

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

$172 COP 545.6K

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

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

$770 COP 2.4M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$129 KES 16.8K

$652 COP 2.1M

-80.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Garissa: October 11, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Garissa

–

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Groceries & Markets

Garissa

–

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Garissa

–

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Clothing & Footwear

Garissa

–

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Eating Out

Garissa

–

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Getting Around

Garissa

–

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Sport & Entertainment

Garissa

–

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 405% higher in Medellin, 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 $23.00 in Garissa versus $46.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $182 vs $295 – making Garissa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Garissa

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

00:26 12:26 AM

16:26 4:26 PM

8 h behind Garissa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

119,696

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to KES – Kenyan Shilling Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇪 Kenyan Shilling (Sh)

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of October 19, 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to KES in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Garissa Medellin 12,800 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Garissa
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

Garissa vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $381 in Garissa, $1,614 in Medellin – roughly 324% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $572 per month in Garissa and $2,421 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Garissa and $46.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $381 in Garissa and $1,614 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 324%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Garissa, where all-in costs run around $381, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Garissa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $381 in Garissa to $1,614 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Garissa. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.