Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kabul and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Kabul: $504 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $13,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

24

Cost of Living Index in Kabul
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Kabul Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

Jump to prices

Kabul

🇦🇫 Afghanistan

$504

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $504 in Kabul versus $1,639 in Medellin.

Kabul $504
Medellin $1,639

Estimated couple costs with rent: $683 in Kabul versus $2,413 in Medellin.

Kabul $683
Medellin $2,413

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $862 in Kabul versus $3,186 in Medellin.

Kabul $862
Medellin $3,186

Living in Kabul costs roughly 69% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kabul is 63% below, Medellin is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.70 ؋175

$8.09 COP 26.1K

-66.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$7.75 ؋503

$47.05 COP 151.7K

-83.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.68 ؋304

$9.50 COP 30.6K

-50.74%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.33 ؋151

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 ؋123

Cappuccino

$1.12 ؋72.4

$3.01 COP 9,722

-62.79%

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

$0.48 ؋31.18

$1.80 COP 5,801

-73.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.13 ؋8.66

$1.41 COP 4,554

-90.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.5K

Milk (1 liter)

$0.82 ؋53.3

$1.51 COP 4,869

-45.70%

White Bread (500g)

$0.25 ؋16.29

$2.38 COP 7,667

-89.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 ؋116

$1.77 COP 5,712

1.13%

Eggs

$1.57 ؋102

$2.89 COP 9,320

-45.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 ؋285

$10.19 COP 32.9K

-56.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.89 ؋252

$9.87 COP 31.8K

-60.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.68 ؋433

$13.99 COP 45.1K

-52.25%

Apples (1kg)

$0.68 ؋44.38

$3.97 COP 12.8K

-82.87%

Banana (1kg)

$0.84 ؋54.7

$1.55 COP 5,005

-45.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.94 ؋61.2

$2.18 COP 7,039

-56.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 ؋35.86

$2.18 COP 7,041

-74.77%

Potato (1kg)

$0.61 ؋39.30

$1.96 COP 6,328

-68.88%

Onion (1kg)

$0.48 ؋30.93

$1.59 COP 5,125

-69.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.30 ؋19.60

$1.15 COP 3,694

-73.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 ؋25.51

$1.24 COP 4,009

-68.55%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.81 ؋117

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 ؋48.41

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.06 ؋68.7

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.43 ؋158

$3.96 COP 12.8K

-38.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.1K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,352

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,281

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 ؋10.13

$1.17 COP 3,766

-86.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.62 ؋1,338

$77.4 COP 249.5K

-73.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 ؋132

$1.27 COP 4,089

60.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.48 ؋31.22

$2.05 COP 6,603

-76.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.75 ؋178

$8.55 COP 27.6K

-67.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 ؋70.1

$1.35 COP 4,343

-20.00%

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

$8,581 ؋556.9K

$34.1K COP 109.8M

-74.81%

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

$33.9K ؋2.2M

$34.7K COP 111.8M

-2.14%

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

$42.52 ؋2,760

$170 COP 547.0K

-74.94%

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

$13.17 ؋855

$13.55 COP 43.7K

-2.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$95.5 ؋6,198

$28.07 COP 90.5K

240.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$11.01 ؋714

$43.70 COP 140.9K

-74.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.01 ؋260

$17.19 COP 55.4K

-76.67%

Cinema Ticket

$2.29 ؋149

$6.91 COP 22.3K

-66.86%

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

$19.86 ؋1,289

$797 COP 2.6M

-97.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,052 ؋68.2K

$9,112 COP 29.4M

-88.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$10.53 ؋684

$84.7 COP 273.2K

-87.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.26 ؋1,055

$58.0 COP 186.9K

-71.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$58.5 ؋3,796

$135 COP 435.2K

-56.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$24.87 ؋1,614

$97.9 COP 315.6K

-74.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$122 ؋7,930

$1,208 COP 3.9M

-89.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$110 ؋7,169

$642 COP 2.1M

-82.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$220 ؋14.3K

$2,028 COP 6.5M

-89.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$114 ؋7,430

$1,012 COP 3.3M

-88.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$669 ؋43.4K

$4,170 COP 13.4M

-83.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$355 ؋23.0K

$1,910 COP 6.2M

-81.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$339 ؋22.0K

$657 COP 2.1M

-48.39%

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 Kabul: October 24, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kabul

$151 30%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 39.7% $60

Accommodation & Living

Kabul

$110 21.9%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 481% $531

Groceries & Markets

Kabul

$101 19.9%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 196% $196

Eating Out

Kabul

$51 10.2%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 230% $118

Clothing & Footwear

Kabul

$50 9.8%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 241% $119

Getting Around

Kabul

$26 5.1%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 264% $68

Sport & Entertainment

Kabul

$16 3.1%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 269% $42

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $122 in Kabul and $1,208 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 94% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $8 in Kabul vs $47 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $101 vs $297 per month, with Kabul cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇫 Kabul

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

20:25 8:25 PM

10:55 10:55 AM

9 h 30 min behind Kabul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,289,000 Capital

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Afghanistan Afghani AFN ؋

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 AFN = 1.54 USD

100 AFN = 1.38 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to AFN – Afghanistan Afghani Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇫 Afghanistan Afghani (؋)

Afghanistan Afghani exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 64.9 AFN (100 AFN = 1.54 USD). 1 EUR = 72.47 AFN (100 AFN = 1.38 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

USD to AFN in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Kabul Medellin 14,160 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Kabul
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

Kabul vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $504 in Kabul and $1,639 in Medellin, so Kabul is about 69% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 48% lower in Kabul. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $122 in Kabul versus $1,208 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kabul runs roughly 73% less than in Medellin. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $19.86 in Kabul versus $797 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $504 in Kabul versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Kabul but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Kabul the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Kabul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 69% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.