Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Machakos and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Machakos: $520 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Machakos
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Machakos Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Machakos

🇰🇪 Kenya

$520

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $520 in Machakos versus $1,639 in Medellin.

Machakos $520
Medellin $1,639

Estimated couple costs with rent: $802 in Machakos versus $2,413 in Medellin.

Machakos $802
Medellin $2,413

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,084 in Machakos versus $3,186 in Medellin.

Machakos $1,084
Medellin $3,186

Living in Machakos costs roughly 68% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Machakos is 62% below, Medellin is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.99 KES 389

$8.09 COP 25.4K

-63.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.26 KES 2,501

$47.05 COP 148.0K

-59.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.26 KES 813

$9.50 COP 29.9K

-34.11%

Cappuccino

$1.97 KES 255

$3.01 COP 9,485

-34.55%

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

$0.66 KES 85.4

$1.80 COP 5,660

-63.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 KES 69.6

$1.41 COP 4,443

-61.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.16 KES 281

$3.18 COP 9,990

-32.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 KES 346

$5.75 COP 18.1K

-53.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.39 KES 50.9

$1.51 COP 4,751

-74.17%

White Bread (500g)

$0.48 KES 62.7

$2.38 COP 7,480

-79.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.80 KES 104

$1.77 COP 5,573

-54.80%

Eggs

$1.36 KES 177

$2.89 COP 9,093

-52.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.89 KES 1,414

$10.19 COP 32.1K

6.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.36 KES 827

$9.87 COP 31.1K

-35.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.71 KES 612

$13.99 COP 44.0K

-66.33%

Apples (1kg)

$1.50 KES 195

$3.97 COP 12.5K

-62.22%

Banana (1kg)

$0.81 KES 105

$1.55 COP 4,883

-47.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.37 KES 47.51

$2.18 COP 6,867

-83.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.40 KES 51.6

$2.18 COP 6,870

-81.65%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 KES 102

$1.96 COP 6,174

-59.69%

Onion (1kg)

$0.76 KES 98.7

$1.59 COP 5,000

-52.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 KES 97.6

$1.15 COP 3,604

-34.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.39 KES 51.1

$1.24 COP 3,911

-68.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.51 KES 456

$3.96 COP 12.5K

-11.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.31 KES 1,469

$13.68 COP 43.0K

-17.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 KES 248

$1.66 COP 5,222

15.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 KES 351

$2.26 COP 7,104

19.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,674

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 KES 96.4

$1.27 COP 3,989

-41.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 KES 97.8

$2.05 COP 6,442

-63.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.86 KES 371

$8.55 COP 26.9K

-66.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 KES 195

$1.35 COP 4,237

11.11%

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

$19.1K KES 2.5M

$34.1K COP 107.2M

-43.87%

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

$21.7K KES 2.8M

$34.7K COP 109.1M

-37.33%

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

$57.0 KES 7,400

$170 COP 533.7K

-66.41%

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

$7.83 KES 1,017

$13.55 COP 42.6K

-42.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.58 KES 1,504

$28.07 COP 88.3K

-58.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.98 KES 5,062

$43.70 COP 137.5K

-10.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

Cinema Ticket

$7.66 KES 995

$6.91 COP 21.7K

10.85%

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

$45.51 KES 5,910

$797 COP 2.5M

-94.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K KES 1.6M

$9,112 COP 28.7M

35.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$11.62 KES 1,509

$84.7 COP 266.5K

-86.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.49 KES 3,700

$58.0 COP 182.3K

-50.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.8 KES 8,927

$135 COP 424.6K

-49.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$38.19 KES 4,959

$97.9 COP 307.9K

-60.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$94.2 KES 12.2K

$1,208 COP 3.8M

-92.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$70.4 KES 9,137

$642 COP 2.0M

-89.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$155 KES 20.1K

$2,028 COP 6.4M

-92.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$116 KES 15.1K

$1,012 COP 3.2M

-88.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$385 KES 50.0K

$657 COP 2.1M

-41.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.71

10.94

34.46%

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

Last update for Machakos: October 24, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Machakos

$161 31%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 84.4% $136

Eating Out

Machakos

$87 16.8%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 94.4% $82

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Machakos

$76 14.7%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 177% $135

Accommodation & Living

Machakos

$70 13.5%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 812% $571

Clothing & Footwear

Machakos

$66 12.7%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 155% $103

Sport & Entertainment

Machakos

$54 10.4%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 5.9% $3.2

Getting Around

Machakos

$4.5 * 0.9%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 1974% $89

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $94 in Machakos and $1,208 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 71% 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: $19 in Machakos vs $47 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $161 vs $297 per month, with Machakos cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Machakos

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

14:58 2:58 PM

06:58 6:58 AM

8 h behind Machakos

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

114,109

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.92 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to KES – Kenyan Shilling Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇪 Kenyan Shilling (Sh)

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.7 USD). 1 EUR = 145 KES (1,000 KES = 6.92 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,501 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

USD to KES in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Machakos Medellin 12,550 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Machakos
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

Machakos vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Machakos wins on cost – living expenses run 68% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Machakos the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 41% lower in Machakos. 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: $94 in Machakos versus $1,208 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 84% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $520 per month in Machakos versus $1,639 in Medellin – a 215% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $520 in Machakos versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $800 budget is realistic in Machakos but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Machakos 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.

It comes down to priorities – Machakos wins on affordability, Medellin on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.