Cost of Living Comparison Between Jeffreys Bay and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Jeffreys Bay and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,045 in Jeffreys Bay versus $1,028 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,547 in Jeffreys Bay versus $1,586 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,049 in Jeffreys Bay versus $2,144 in Medellin.

Living in Jeffreys Bay is roughly 2% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Jeffreys Bay 22% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.56 R 90.1

$6.00 COP 20.6K

-7.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.27 R 555

$32.84 COP 112.5K

4.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.36 R 86.7

$7.42 COP 25.4K

-27.76%

Cappuccino

$1.78 R 28.83

$1.65 COP 5,659

7.88%

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

$0.69 R 11.09

$1.07 COP 3,663

-35.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.96 R 15.54

$0.76 COP 2,607

26.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.80 R 29.18

$1.72 COP 5,908

4.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 R 30.05

$3.20 COP 11.0K

-41.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 R 17.39

$1.05 COP 3,597

1.90%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 R 16.06

$1.31 COP 4,479

-24.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 R 27.74

$1.34 COP 4,591

27.61%

Eggs

$2.74 R 44.27

$2.19 COP 7,521

25.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.84 R 94.6

$4.41 COP 15.1K

32.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.69 R 75.9

$5.69 COP 19.5K

-17.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.82 R 110

$8.52 COP 29.2K

-19.95%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 R 30.53

$2.34 COP 8,023

-19.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 R 23.64

$1.11 COP 3,804

31.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 R 25.03

$1.52 COP 5,210

1.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.65 R 26.72

$1.37 COP 4,680

20.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 R 22.03

$1.15 COP 3,950

18.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 R 19.27

$1.18 COP 4,043

0.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 R 17.53

$0.84 COP 2,885

28.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 R 16.81

$0.86 COP 2,931

20.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.75 R 44.46

$2.26 COP 7,753

21.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.97 R 64.3

$11.60 COP 39.8K

-65.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 R 22.94

$1.20 COP 4,109

18.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 R 28.58

$2.48 COP 8,484

-28.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.61 R 26.03

$0.79 COP 2,721

103.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 139.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 R 18.66

$1.47 COP 5,023

-21.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.88 R 14.21

$1.92 COP 6,568

-54.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.92 R 63.4

$7.77 COP 26.6K

-49.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 R 20.21

$1.01 COP 3,464

23.76%

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

$21.6K R 349.0K

$17.7K COP 60.5M

22.11%

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

$24.0K R 388.2K

$26.5K COP 90.7M

-9.35%

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

$140 R 2,259

$81.1 COP 277.9K

72.10%

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

$55.2 R 893

$9.43 COP 32.3K

485.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.5 R 964

$23.86 COP 81.8K

149.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.45 R 509

$25.99 COP 89.1K

21.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.44 R 88.0

$18.71 COP 64.1K

-70.92%

Cinema Ticket

$6.59 R 107

$4.09 COP 14.0K

61.12%

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

$129 R 2,094

$315 COP 1.1M

-58.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,424 R 71.6K

$6,022 COP 20.6M

-26.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.4 R 816

$59.7 COP 204.6K

-15.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.83 R 515

$31.97 COP 109.6K

-0.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 R 1,408

$101 COP 346.9K

-14.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.2 R 1,314

$105 COP 360.3K

-22.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$364 R 5,886

$485 COP 1.7M

-25.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$320 R 5,186

$365 COP 1.3M

-12.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$699 R 11.3K

$827 COP 2.8M

-15.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$588 R 9,516

$730 COP 2.5M

-19.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$822 R 13.3K

$2,992 COP 10.3M

-72.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$725 R 11.7K

$1,314 COP 4.5M

-44.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$551 COP 1.9M

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 Jeffreys Bay: June 15, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $364 in Jeffreys Bay and $485 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $34.00 in Jeffreys Bay vs $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $174 vs $190, with Jeffreys Bay 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

Jeffreys Bay vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,568 in Jeffreys Bay and $1,542 in Medellin to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $364 in Jeffreys Bay versus $485 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Jeffreys Bay pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,045 per month in Jeffreys Bay versus $1,028 in Medellin – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,028 in Medellin versus $1,045 in Jeffreys Bay, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Jeffreys Bay. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Jeffreys Bay. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.