Cost of Living Comparison Between Lusaka and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Lusaka and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $876 in Lusaka versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,489 in Lusaka versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,103 in Lusaka versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Lusaka costs roughly 14% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lusaka 35% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.11 ZMW 127

$5.99 COP 21.4K

18.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.96 ZMW 446

$32.86 COP 117.4K

-24.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.63 ZMW 64.8

$7.09 COP 25.3K

-48.80%

Cappuccino

$2.01 ZMW 35.86

$1.71 COP 6,115

17.54%

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

$0.73 ZMW 13.05

$1.10 COP 3,924

-33.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.34 ZMW 6.04

$0.78 COP 2,781

-56.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.96 ZMW 17.05

$1.68 COP 5,997

-42.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 ZMW 32.42

$3.07 COP 11.0K

-40.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ZMW 22.53

$1.09 COP 3,906

15.60%

White Bread (500g)

$0.74 ZMW 13.16

$1.26 COP 4,508

-41.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 ZMW 28.26

$1.38 COP 4,922

14.49%

Eggs

$1.77 ZMW 31.65

$2.19 COP 7,827

-19.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.86 ZMW 140

$4.40 COP 15.7K

78.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.83 ZMW 68.4

$5.63 COP 20.1K

-31.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.57 ZMW 81.6

$8.89 COP 31.8K

-48.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.50 ZMW 44.69

$2.34 COP 8,349

6.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 ZMW 28.28

$1.06 COP 3,777

49.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 ZMW 47.96

$1.50 COP 5,374

79.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.17 ZMW 20.91

$1.38 COP 4,924

-15.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 ZMW 33.43

$1.15 COP 4,111

62.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ZMW 24.63

$1.16 COP 4,155

18.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 ZMW 15.54

$0.89 COP 3,182

-2.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ZMW 9.30

$0.84 COP 2,997

-38.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.54 ZMW 45.39

$2.28 COP 8,145

11.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.95 ZMW 195

$10.64 COP 38.0K

2.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 ZMW 20.24

$1.20 COP 4,284

-5.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 ZMW 26.75

$2.47 COP 8,824

-39.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.96 ZMW 17.11

$0.86 COP 3,056

11.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.24 ZMW 683

$41.40 COP 147.9K

-7.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.79 ZMW 49.72

$1.47 COP 5,264

89.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.15 ZMW 20.50

$1.96 COP 7,009

-41.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.92 ZMW 159

$7.74 COP 27.6K

15.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 ZMW 21.29

$0.95 COP 3,409

25.26%

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

$7,968 ZMW 142.2K

$18.1K COP 64.7M

-56.06%

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

$28.4K ZMW 506.8K

$26.5K COP 94.6M

7.19%

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

$90.1 ZMW 1,608

$82.3 COP 293.7K

9.52%

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

$53.6 ZMW 956

$9.50 COP 33.9K

463.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$127 ZMW 2,263

$24.23 COP 86.5K

423.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.11 ZMW 805

$25.89 COP 92.4K

74.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.99 ZMW 250

$19.00 COP 67.9K

-26.37%

Cinema Ticket

$4.29 ZMW 76.6

$3.93 COP 14.0K

9.16%

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

$177 ZMW 3,161

$309 COP 1.1M

-42.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,528 ZMW 170.1K

$5,965 COP 21.3M

59.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.25 ZMW 344

$58.7 COP 209.5K

-67.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.27 ZMW 308

$32.35 COP 115.5K

-46.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.0 ZMW 1,535

$103 COP 366.4K

-16.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.7 ZMW 1,316

$108 COP 387.2K

-32.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$224 ZMW 4,007

$476 COP 1.7M

-52.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$120 ZMW 2,148

$379 COP 1.4M

-68.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,053 ZMW 18.8K

$838 COP 3.0M

25.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 ZMW 10.4K

$724 COP 2.6M

-19.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,973 ZMW 35.2K

$2,791 COP 10.0M

-29.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,281 ZMW 76.4K

$1,211 COP 4.3M

253.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$296 ZMW 5,286

$512 COP 1.8M

-42.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

86.15%

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

Last update for Lusaka: May 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $224 in Lusaka and $476 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 73% 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: $25.00 in Lusaka vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $177 vs $188 per month, with Lusaka 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

Lusaka vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lusaka and Medellin differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($876 vs $1,013 including rent). Lusaka is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Medellin earns 73% less. 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: $224 in Lusaka versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $876 per month in Lusaka versus $1,013 in Medellin – a 16% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Lusaka runs roughly 8% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $876 in Lusaka versus $1,013 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lusaka but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Lusaka 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 Lusaka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.