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: $1,011 in Grahamstown versus $1,028 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,563 in Grahamstown versus $1,586 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,115 in Grahamstown versus $2,144 in Medellin.

Living in Grahamstown costs roughly 2% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Grahamstown 24% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.77 R 142

$6.00 COP 20.6K

46.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.15 R 553

$32.84 COP 112.5K

3.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.92 R 79.7

$7.42 COP 25.4K

-33.69%

Cappuccino

$2.10 R 33.97

$1.65 COP 5,659

27.27%

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

$1.00 R 16.17

$1.07 COP 3,663

-6.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 R 12.59

$0.76 COP 2,607

2.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 R 35.70

$1.72 COP 5,908

28.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 R 40.20

$3.20 COP 11.0K

-22.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 R 18.76

$1.05 COP 3,597

10.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 R 16.84

$1.31 COP 4,479

-20.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 R 25.44

$1.34 COP 4,591

17.16%

Eggs

$2.42 R 39.25

$2.19 COP 7,521

10.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.79 R 126

$4.41 COP 15.1K

76.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.54 R 73.5

$5.69 COP 19.5K

-20.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.88 R 111

$8.52 COP 29.2K

-19.25%

Apples (1kg)

$1.67 R 27.10

$2.34 COP 8,023

-28.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.51

$1.11 COP 3,804

36.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 R 24.81

$1.52 COP 5,210

0.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 R 26.50

$1.37 COP 4,680

19.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 R 22.10

$1.15 COP 3,950

19.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 R 19.89

$1.18 COP 4,043

4.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 R 17.57

$0.84 COP 2,885

29.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 R 15.47

$0.86 COP 2,931

11.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.82 R 45.65

$2.26 COP 7,753

24.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.89 R 79.1

$11.60 COP 39.8K

-57.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 R 21.49

$1.20 COP 4,109

10.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 R 27.89

$2.48 COP 8,484

-30.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.61 R 26.10

$0.79 COP 2,721

103.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 139.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 R 17.90

$1.47 COP 5,023

-24.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R 14.65

$1.92 COP 6,568

-53.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.91 R 63.3

$7.77 COP 26.6K

-49.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 R 20.13

$1.01 COP 3,464

22.77%

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

$21.1K R 341.1K

$17.7K COP 60.5M

19.33%

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

$23.9K R 386.8K

$26.5K COP 90.7M

-9.66%

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

$116 R 1,880

$81.1 COP 277.9K

43.24%

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

$35.38 R 573

$9.43 COP 32.3K

275.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 R 685

$23.86 COP 81.8K

77.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.28 R 506

$25.99 COP 89.1K

20.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.71 COP 64.1K

Cinema Ticket

$6.79 R 110

$4.09 COP 14.0K

66.01%

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

$200 R 3,231

$315 COP 1.1M

-36.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,321 R 69.9K

$6,022 COP 20.6M

-28.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 R 813

$59.7 COP 204.6K

-15.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.79 R 515

$31.97 COP 109.6K

-0.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.5 R 1,416

$101 COP 346.9K

-13.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.6 R 1,272

$105 COP 360.3K

-25.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$369 R 5,970

$485 COP 1.7M

-24.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$339 R 5,486

$365 COP 1.3M

-7.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$677 R 11.0K

$827 COP 2.8M

-18.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$683 R 11.1K

$730 COP 2.5M

-6.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$832 R 13.5K

$2,992 COP 10.3M

-72.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$691 R 11.2K

$1,314 COP 4.5M

-47.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,224 R 19.8K

$551 COP 1.9M

122.24%

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: June 14, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $369 in Grahamstown and $485 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Grahamstown pays 122% 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 $179 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 2% 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 122% 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: $369 in Grahamstown versus $485 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.

All in, you'll spend $1,011 per month in Grahamstown versus $1,028 in Medellin – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,011 in Grahamstown versus $1,028 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 $1,011 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 2% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.