Cost of Living Comparison Between Grahamstown and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Grahamstown and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $990 in Grahamstown versus $1,034 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,554 in Grahamstown versus $1,577 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,118 in Grahamstown versus $2,120 in Medellin.

Living in Grahamstown costs roughly 4% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Grahamstown 26% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.75 R 145

$5.92 COP 21.5K

47.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.13 R 565

$32.75 COP 119.1K

4.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.00 R 82.7

$7.20 COP 26.2K

-30.56%

Cappuccino

$2.03 R 33.57

$1.70 COP 6,186

19.41%

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

$1.03 R 17.11

$1.10 COP 3,996

-6.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 R 13.47

$0.72 COP 2,625

12.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 R 36.63

$1.67 COP 6,067

32.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 R 40.97

$3.10 COP 11.3K

-20.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 R 18.37

$1.06 COP 3,837

4.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 R 17.53

$1.25 COP 4,531

-15.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 R 26.03

$1.39 COP 5,060

12.95%

Eggs

$2.42 R 40.03

$2.26 COP 8,229

7.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.93 R 131

$4.33 COP 15.8K

83.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.53 R 75.0

$5.84 COP 21.2K

-22.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.62 R 110

$8.83 COP 32.1K

-25.03%

Apples (1kg)

$1.61 R 26.61

$2.24 COP 8,159

-28.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 R 25.08

$1.08 COP 3,911

40.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.66

$1.53 COP 5,563

-2.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 R 26.32

$1.37 COP 4,987

16.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.38 R 22.82

$1.13 COP 4,109

22.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 R 19.60

$1.12 COP 4,067

5.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 R 17.93

$0.85 COP 3,080

27.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.97 R 16.03

$0.91 COP 3,305

6.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.86 R 47.39

$2.33 COP 8,477

22.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.95 R 81.9

$11.13 COP 40.5K

-55.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 R 22.15

$1.19 COP 4,342

12.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 R 28.37

$2.37 COP 8,617

-27.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.60 R 26.53

$0.79 COP 2,859

102.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 149.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 R 18.78

$1.44 COP 5,223

-21.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.89 R 14.80

$1.91 COP 6,952

-53.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.92 R 64.9

$8.02 COP 29.2K

-51.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 R 20.63

$0.94 COP 3,410

32.98%

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

$21.2K R 350.4K

$17.9K COP 65.2M

18.14%

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

$23.5K R 388.1K

$26.8K COP 97.4M

-12.46%

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

$118 R 1,957

$84.0 COP 305.4K

40.83%

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

$35.40 R 586

$9.60 COP 34.9K

268.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.04 R 679

$24.16 COP 87.9K

69.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.78 R 509

$25.88 COP 94.1K

18.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 69.3K

Cinema Ticket

$6.61 R 109

$3.92 COP 14.2K

68.62%

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

$197 R 3,267

$306 COP 1.1M

-35.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,392 R 72.7K

$5,919 COP 21.5M

-25.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.4 R 851

$57.9 COP 210.6K

-11.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.50 R 538

$31.82 COP 115.7K

2.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.9 R 1,487

$99.9 COP 363.3K

-10.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.8 R 1,321

$107 COP 389.7K

-25.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$366 R 6,050

$487 COP 1.8M

-24.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$328 R 5,434

$368 COP 1.3M

-10.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$676 R 11.2K

$826 COP 3.0M

-18.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$677 R 11.2K

$716 COP 2.6M

-5.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$876 R 14.5K

$2,925 COP 10.6M

-70.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$598 R 9,901

$1,407 COP 5.1M

-57.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,195 R 19.8K

$546 COP 2.0M

119.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.51

13.43

-14.30%

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

Last update for Grahamstown: April 28, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $366 in Grahamstown and $487 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Grahamstown pays 119% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $34.00 in Grahamstown vs $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $178 vs $190, with Grahamstown cheaper for home cooking.

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

Grahamstown vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Grahamstown wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Grahamstown the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Grahamstown pays 119% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $366 in Grahamstown versus $487 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $990 per month in Grahamstown versus $1,034 in Medellin – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $990 in Grahamstown versus $1,034 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Grahamstown but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Grahamstown the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Grahamstown delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $990 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Grahamstown hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Grahamstown 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 Grahamstown gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.