Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Johannesburg and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Johannesburg: $1,430 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

69

Cost of Living Index in Johannesburg
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Johannesburg Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index

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Johannesburg

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,430

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,430 per month in Johannesburg vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

Johannesburg $1,430
Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $2,195 per month in Johannesburg vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

Johannesburg $2,195
Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $2,960 per month in Johannesburg vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

Johannesburg $2,960
Medellin $3,190

Johannesburg is about 11% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Johannesburg and Medellin sit above the global median – Johannesburg by 6%, Medellin by 20%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.98 R 197

$7.93 COP 25.2K

51.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.02 R 709

$46.13 COP 146.3K

-6.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.12 R 117

$9.50 COP 30.1K

-25.05%

Cappuccino

$2.41 R 39.72

$3.11 COP 9,866

-22.51%

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

$1.17 R 19.21

$1.83 COP 5,800

-36.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.93 R 15.30

$1.38 COP 4,360

-32.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.25 R 37.03

$3.05 COP 9,672

-26.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 R 45.49

$5.50 COP 17.4K

-49.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 R 21.59

$1.45 COP 4,600

-9.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.28 R 21.12

$2.36 COP 7,496

-45.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.72 R 28.37

$1.68 COP 5,328

2.38%

Eggs

$2.63 R 43.34

$2.86 COP 9,077

-8.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.47 R 140

$10.19 COP 32.3K

-16.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.47 R 90.0

$9.53 COP 30.2K

-42.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.80 R 145

$14.04 COP 44.5K

-37.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 R 34.89

$4.07 COP 12.9K

-47.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 R 29.45

$1.50 COP 4,742

19.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 R 30.47

$2.17 COP 6,891

-14.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 R 34.99

$2.31 COP 7,310

-8.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.74 R 28.61

$1.93 COP 6,113

-9.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 R 30.09

$1.64 COP 5,196

11.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 R 23.53

$1.13 COP 3,571

26.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 R 21.99

$1.25 COP 3,954

6.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.30 R 54.3

$3.99 COP 12.6K

-17.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 R 97.3

$13.35 COP 42.3K

-55.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 R 29.89

$1.70 COP 5,384

6.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 R 40.95

$2.37 COP 7,525

5.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.01 R 33.11

$1.21 COP 3,827

66.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.9 R 1,481

$76.5 COP 242.5K

17.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.83 R 13.62

$1.32 COP 4,179

-37.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.89 R 14.70

$2.14 COP 6,774

-58.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.42 R 238

$8.47 COP 26.8K

70.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 R 24.51

$1.30 COP 4,114

14.62%

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

$35.2K R 579.4K

$28.0K COP 88.7M

25.64%

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

$32.5K R 534.9K

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-8.32%

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

$233 R 3,841

$172 COP 545.6K

35.46%

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

$37.52 R 618

$13.37 COP 42.4K

180.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.32 R 598

$28.73 COP 91.1K

26.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.44 R 600

$45.24 COP 143.5K

-19.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.23 R 284

$17.04 COP 54.0K

1.12%

Cinema Ticket

$7.66 R 126

$6.28 COP 19.9K

21.97%

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

$246 R 4,048

$770 COP 2.4M

-68.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,533 R 91.2K

$9,011 COP 28.6M

-38.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.4 R 963

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-32.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.21 R 745

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-20.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 R 1,817

$137 COP 432.9K

-19.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 R 1,734

$97.9 COP 310.4K

7.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$493 R 8,127

$1,055 COP 3.3M

-53.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$435 R 7,160

$616 COP 2.0M

-29.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$985 R 16.2K

$1,892 COP 6.0M

-47.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$896 R 14.8K

$1,023 COP 3.2M

-12.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$967 R 15.9K

$4,059 COP 12.9M

-76.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$746 R 12.3K

$1,678 COP 5.3M

-55.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,738 R 28.6K

$652 COP 2.1M

166.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.91

10.94

-0.27%

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

Last update for Johannesburg: October 13, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Johannesburg

$435 30.4%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 41.7% $181

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Johannesburg

$307 21.5%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 30.2% $93

Groceries & Markets

Johannesburg

$218 15.3%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 35% $76

Eating Out

Johannesburg

$171 12%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 1.7% $2.9

Clothing & Footwear

Johannesburg

$144 10.1%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 18.4% $26

Getting Around

Johannesburg

$103 7.2%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 9.6% $9.9

Sport & Entertainment

Johannesburg

$52 3.6%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 11.7% $6.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $493 in Johannesburg versus $1,055 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 166% higher in Johannesburg, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Johannesburg versus $46.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $218 vs $295 – making Johannesburg the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Johannesburg

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

15:22 3:22 PM

08:22 8:22 AM

7 h behind Johannesburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,434,827

2,486,723

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 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 ZAR in detail →

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Between locations

Johannesburg Medellin 11,670 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Johannesburg
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

Johannesburg vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 13% more than Johannesburg, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,145 per month in Johannesburg and $2,421 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Johannesburg, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Johannesburg 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 $1,430 in Johannesburg and $1,614 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 13%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Johannesburg, where all-in costs run around $1,430, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Johannesburg it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Johannesburg costs $1,430 versus $1,614 in Medellin. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Johannesburg. 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.