Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lubumbashi and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Lubumbashi: $1,228 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Lubumbashi
Learn more

Lubumbashi Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index

Jump to prices

Lubumbashi

🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo

$1,228

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,228 per month in Lubumbashi vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

Lubumbashi $1,228
Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $2,727 per month in Lubumbashi vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

Lubumbashi $2,727
Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $4,226 per month in Lubumbashi vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

Lubumbashi $4,226
Medellin $3,190

Lubumbashi is about 24% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Lubumbashi sits 9% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.91 CDF 22.5K

$7.93 COP 25.2K

24.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.1 CDF 224.6K

$46.13 COP 146.3K

114.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.92 CDF 22.5K

$9.50 COP 30.1K

4.42%

Cappuccino

$4.03 CDF 9,131

$3.11 COP 9,866

29.58%

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

$1.08 CDF 2,458

$1.83 COP 5,800

-40.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.99 CDF 4,508

$3.05 COP 9,672

-34.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 CDF 5,756

$5.50 COP 17.4K

-53.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 CDF 4,446

$1.45 COP 4,600

35.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.22 CDF 2,764

$2.36 COP 7,496

-48.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.18 CDF 7,204

$1.68 COP 5,328

89.29%

Eggs

$2.10 CDF 4,761

$2.86 COP 9,077

-26.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.77 CDF 33.5K

$10.19 COP 32.3K

44.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 CDF 17.4K

$9.53 COP 30.2K

-19.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 CDF 35.2K

$14.04 COP 44.5K

10.54%

Apples (1kg)

$4.96 CDF 11.2K

$4.07 COP 12.9K

21.87%

Banana (1kg)

$3.07 CDF 6,960

$1.50 COP 4,742

104.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.88 CDF 11.1K

$2.17 COP 6,891

124.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.98 CDF 6,745

$2.31 COP 7,310

29.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.56 CDF 5,810

$1.93 COP 6,113

32.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 CDF 6,020

$1.64 COP 5,196

62.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 CDF 2,220

$1.13 COP 3,571

-13.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 CDF 2,774

$1.25 COP 3,954

-2.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.07 CDF 9,227

$3.99 COP 12.6K

2.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.73 CDF 28.8K

$13.35 COP 42.3K

-4.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 CDF 2,600

$1.70 COP 5,384

-32.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 CDF 4,719

$2.37 COP 7,525

-12.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 CDF 2,289

$1.21 COP 3,827

-16.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.47 CDF 10.1K

$1.32 COP 4,179

238.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.87 CDF 22.4K

$8.47 COP 26.8K

16.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 CDF 3,361

$1.30 COP 4,114

13.85%

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

$25.1K CDF 56.8M

$28.0K COP 88.7M

-10.49%

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

$30.6K CDF 69.3M

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-13.66%

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

$99.9 CDF 226.3K

$172 COP 545.6K

-41.96%

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

$20.13 CDF 45.6K

$13.37 COP 42.4K

50.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.3 CDF 136.6K

$28.73 COP 91.1K

109.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.6 CDF 166.8K

$45.24 COP 143.5K

62.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

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

$132 CDF 297.9K

$770 COP 2.4M

-82.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,456 CDF 10.1M

$9,011 COP 28.6M

-50.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.35 CDF 50.6K

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-74.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.55 CDF 51.1K

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-60.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.1 CDF 133.9K

$137 COP 432.9K

-56.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.5 CDF 196.0K

$97.9 COP 310.4K

-11.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$862 CDF 2.0M

$1,055 COP 3.3M

-18.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 CDF 851.7K

$616 COP 2.0M

-38.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,522 CDF 5.7M

$1,892 COP 6.0M

33.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,051 CDF 4.6M

$1,023 COP 3.2M

100.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,012 CDF 2.3M

$4,059 COP 12.9M

-75.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$499 CDF 1.1M

$1,678 COP 5.3M

-70.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,064 CDF 2.4M

$652 COP 2.1M

63.14%

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 Lubumbashi: 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

Lubumbashi

$376 30.6%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 63.8% $240

Groceries & Markets

Lubumbashi

$327 26.6%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 9.9% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lubumbashi

$180 14.7%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 18.8% $34

Eating Out

Lubumbashi

$177 * 14.4%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 4.8% $8.4

Clothing & Footwear

Lubumbashi

$86 7%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 98.4% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Lubumbashi

$74 * 6%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 21.5% $16

Getting Around

Lubumbashi

$8.5 * 0.7%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 997% $85

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $862 in Lubumbashi 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 63% higher in Lubumbashi, 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 $99.0 in Lubumbashi versus $46.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $327 vs $295 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇩 Lubumbashi

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

01:47 1:47 AM

18:47 6:47 PM

7 h behind Lubumbashi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,139,064

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Congolese Franc CDF Fr

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CDF = 4.41 USD

10,000 CDF = 3.93 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to CDF – Congolese Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇩 Congolese Franc (Fr)

Congolese Franc exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 2,265 CDF (10,000 CDF = 4.41 USD). 1 EUR = 2,547 CDF (10,000 CDF = 3.93 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 CDF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lubumbashi Medellin 11,570 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Lubumbashi
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

Lubumbashi vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,228 in Lubumbashi, $1,614 in Medellin – roughly 31% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,842 per month in Lubumbashi 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 Lubumbashi, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,228 in Lubumbashi and $1,614 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 31%.

Kindergarten costs $132 per month in Lubumbashi and $770 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Lubumbashi, where all-in costs run around $1,228, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Lubumbashi 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 $1,228 in Lubumbashi to $1,614 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Lubumbashi. 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.