Cost of Living Comparison Between Luanda and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Luanda and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,010 in Luanda versus $1,641 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,900 in Luanda versus $2,447 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,790 in Luanda versus $3,253 in Medellin.

Living in Luanda costs roughly 38% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Luanda is 27% below, Medellin is 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.56 AOA 5,073

$8.04 COP 24.8K

-30.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.53 AOA 33.3K

$48.29 COP 148.7K

-24.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.47 AOA 5,908

$9.42 COP 29.0K

-31.32%

Cappuccino

$2.53 AOA 2,312

$2.94 COP 9,045

-13.95%

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

$1.34 AOA 1,227

$1.86 COP 5,738

-27.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 AOA 1,056

$1.46 COP 4,481

-20.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.66 AOA 1,512

$3.21 COP 9,887

-48.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 AOA 1,519

$5.71 COP 17.6K

-70.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.99 AOA 1,819

$1.44 COP 4,431

38.19%

White Bread (500g)

$0.95 AOA 869

$2.40 COP 7,393

-60.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 AOA 1,466

$1.70 COP 5,230

-5.29%

Eggs

$1.88 AOA 1,713

$2.89 COP 8,901

-34.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.26 AOA 8,449

$10.06 COP 31.0K

-7.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.44 AOA 3,138

$9.97 COP 30.7K

-65.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.52 AOA 6,861

$14.20 COP 43.7K

-47.04%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 AOA 2,057

$3.98 COP 12.3K

-43.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 AOA 926

$1.58 COP 4,880

-36.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.78 AOA 2,536

$2.15 COP 6,627

29.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.84 AOA 1,683

$2.30 COP 7,082

-20.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 AOA 1,412

$2.00 COP 6,172

-22.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 AOA 1,441

$1.51 COP 4,648

4.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 AOA 1,604

$1.20 COP 3,703

46.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.34 AOA 315

$1.28 COP 3,948

-73.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.62 AOA 1,481

$3.84 COP 11.8K

-57.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.89 AOA 5,377

$14.01 COP 43.1K

-57.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 AOA 412

$1.71 COP 5,259

-73.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 AOA 838

$2.74 COP 8,444

-66.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 AOA 310

$1.25 COP 3,836

-72.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.03 AOA 30.1K

$77.9 COP 239.9K

-57.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.12 AOA 1,027

$1.31 COP 4,018

-14.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 AOA 830

$2.17 COP 6,684

-58.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.50 AOA 5,019

$8.29 COP 25.5K

-33.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.32 AOA 292

$1.36 COP 4,174

-76.47%

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

$14.2K AOA 12.9M

$27.5K COP 84.6M

-48.45%

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

$22.7K AOA 20.7M

$36.5K COP 112.5M

-37.79%

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

$101 AOA 92.0K

$169 COP 519.5K

-40.23%

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

$17.81 AOA 16.3K

$13.57 COP 41.8K

31.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.6 AOA 72.6K

$28.32 COP 87.2K

180.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.68 AOA 41.7K

$45.71 COP 140.8K

-0.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.58 AOA 14.2K

$17.22 COP 53.0K

-9.52%

Cinema Ticket

$3.57 AOA 3,259

$6.65 COP 20.5K

-46.32%

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

$759 AOA 692.3K

$803 COP 2.5M

-5.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K AOA 12.2M

$9,190 COP 28.3M

45.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 AOA 99.4K

$87.4 COP 269.0K

24.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.7 AOA 58.1K

$59.4 COP 182.8K

7.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.0 AOA 90.4K

$139 COP 427.7K

-28.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$201 AOA 183.3K

$102 COP 314.2K

96.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$390 AOA 356.0K

$1,071 COP 3.3M

-63.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$196 AOA 179.1K

$653 COP 2.0M

-69.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,170 AOA 2.0M

$1,925 COP 5.9M

12.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,039 AOA 948.2K

$1,048 COP 3.2M

-0.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.0K AOA 10.9M

$4,123 COP 12.7M

189.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$894 AOA 815.6K

$1,697 COP 5.2M

-47.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,411 AOA 1.3M

$655 COP 2.0M

115.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

91.96%

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

Last update for Luanda: September 6, 2026

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $390 in Luanda and $1,071 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Luanda pays 115% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $37.00 in Luanda vs $48.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $183 vs $300 per month, with Luanda cheaper across the board.

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

Luanda vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Luanda and Medellin differ by about 62% in total monthly costs ($1,010 vs $1,641 including rent). Luanda is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 115% higher in Luanda, 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: $390 in Luanda versus $1,071 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Luanda runs roughly 136% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $759 in Luanda versus $803 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,010 in Luanda versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Luanda but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Luanda 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 Luanda gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.