Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kitwe and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Kitwe: $181 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $17,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Kitwe

🇿🇲 Zambia

$181

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $181 per month in Kitwe vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Kitwe $181
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $1,202 per month in Kitwe vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Kitwe $1,202
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $2,224 per month in Kitwe vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Kitwe $2,224
Medellin $3,186

Kitwe is about 89% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Kitwe sits 87% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.8K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

Cappuccino

$2.45 ZMW 49.53

$3.01 COP 9,729

-18.60%

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

$0.57 ZMW 11.59

$1.80 COP 5,806

-68.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.82 ZMW 16.52

$1.41 COP 4,558

-41.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 ZMW 41.11

$3.18 COP 10.2K

-36.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.55 ZMW 51.6

$5.75 COP 18.6K

-55.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,873

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 ZMW 20.54

$2.38 COP 7,673

-57.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,716

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,327

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,009

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,044

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,047

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,333

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,129

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,696

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,012

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.45 ZMW 49.46

$3.96 COP 12.8K

-38.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 ZMW 23.59

$1.66 COP 5,356

-29.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 ZMW 19.97

$2.26 COP 7,286

-56.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,769

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,092

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,608

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 ZMW 28.55

$1.35 COP 4,346

4.44%

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

$34.1K COP 109.9M

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

$30.4K ZMW 613.8K

$34.7K COP 111.9M

-12.44%

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

$170 COP 547.5K

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$98.4 ZMW 1,989

$28.07 COP 90.6K

250.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.72 ZMW 298

$43.70 COP 141.0K

-66.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

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

$601 ZMW 12.2K

$797 COP 2.6M

-24.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K ZMW 244.3K

$9,112 COP 29.4M

32.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.4K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.0K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.5K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.8K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 ZMW 24.7K

$1,208 COP 3.9M

1.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,487 ZMW 50.3K

$2,028 COP 6.5M

22.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,969 ZMW 39.8K

$1,012 COP 3.3M

94.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

229.07%

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

Last update for Kitwe: October 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kitwe

–

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Groceries & Markets

Kitwe

–

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kitwe

–

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Eating Out

Kitwe

–

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Kitwe

–

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Getting Around

Kitwe

–

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Sport & Entertainment

Kitwe

–

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,221 in Kitwe versus $1,208 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Good to know

🇿🇲 Kitwe

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

08:32 8:32 AM

01:32 1:32 AM

7 h behind Kitwe

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

522,092

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Zambian Kwacha ZMW ZK

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZMW = 4.95 USD

100 ZMW = 4.41 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to ZMW – Zambian Kwacha Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇲 Zambian Kwacha (ZK)

Zambian Kwacha exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 20.22 ZMW (100 ZMW = 4.95 USD). 1 EUR = 22.66 ZMW (100 ZMW = 4.41 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 3,227 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,617 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

USD to ZMW in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Kitwe Medellin 11,660 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Kitwe
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

Kitwe vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $181 in Kitwe, $1,639 in Medellin – Kitwe comes out roughly 89% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $272 per month in Kitwe and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,221 in Kitwe and $1,208 in Medellin. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Kindergarten costs $601 per month in Kitwe and $797 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $181 in Kitwe and $1,639 in Medellin. That makes Kitwe about 89% cheaper.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Kitwe, where all-in costs run around $181, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Kitwe it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $181 in Kitwe to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.