Cost of Living Comparison Between Machakos and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Machakos and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $453 in Machakos versus $1,034 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $752 in Machakos versus $1,577 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,051 in Machakos versus $2,120 in Medellin.

Living in Machakos costs roughly 56% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Machakos 66% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.34 KES 302

$5.92 COP 21.4K

-60.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.88 KES 5,018

$32.75 COP 118.2K

18.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.85 KES 884

$7.20 COP 26.0K

-4.86%

Cappuccino

$1.99 KES 257

$1.70 COP 6,140

17.06%

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

$0.74 KES 95.7

$1.10 COP 3,966

-32.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 KES 64.9

$0.72 COP 2,605

-30.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.91 KES 247

$1.67 COP 6,022

14.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.70 KES 348

$3.10 COP 11.2K

-12.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.38 KES 48.71

$1.06 COP 3,809

-64.15%

White Bread (500g)

$0.45 KES 57.8

$1.25 COP 4,497

-64.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 KES 104

$1.39 COP 5,022

-41.73%

Eggs

$1.35 KES 175

$2.26 COP 8,168

-40.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.65 KES 1,504

$4.33 COP 15.6K

169.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.69 KES 864

$5.84 COP 21.1K

14.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.57 KES 590

$8.83 COP 31.9K

-48.24%

Apples (1kg)

$1.53 KES 197

$2.24 COP 8,099

-31.70%

Banana (1kg)

$0.73 KES 94.5

$1.08 COP 3,882

-32.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.41 KES 52.4

$1.53 COP 5,522

-73.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.37 KES 48.38

$1.37 COP 4,950

-72.99%

Potato (1kg)

$0.78 KES 101

$1.13 COP 4,078

-30.97%

Onion (1kg)

$0.75 KES 97.4

$1.12 COP 4,036

-33.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.65 KES 84.0

$0.85 COP 3,057

-23.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.41 KES 52.8

$0.91 COP 3,281

-54.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.01 KES 388

$2.33 COP 8,414

29.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.72 KES 1,512

$11.13 COP 40.2K

5.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 KES 255

$1.19 COP 4,309

66.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 KES 353

$2.37 COP 8,553

15.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 KES 97.1

$1.44 COP 5,184

-47.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 KES 104

$1.91 COP 6,901

-58.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.97 KES 383

$8.02 COP 28.9K

-62.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 KES 187

$0.94 COP 3,385

54.26%

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

$21.9K KES 2.8M

$17.9K COP 64.7M

22.45%

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

$20.2K KES 2.6M

$26.8K COP 96.7M

-24.66%

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

$33.86 KES 4,370

$84.0 COP 303.1K

-59.67%

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

$7.93 KES 1,023

$9.60 COP 34.7K

-17.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.71 KES 1,511

$24.16 COP 87.2K

-51.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

Cinema Ticket

$6.05 KES 781

$3.92 COP 14.1K

54.34%

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

$45.51 KES 5,874

$306 COP 1.1M

-85.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,077 KES 1.0M

$5,919 COP 21.4M

36.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$11.55 KES 1,491

$57.9 COP 209.1K

-80.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.37 KES 3,145

$31.82 COP 114.9K

-23.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.4 KES 8,570

$99.9 COP 360.6K

-33.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$38.37 KES 4,952

$107 COP 386.8K

-64.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$92.4 KES 11.9K

$487 COP 1.8M

-81.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$69.9 KES 9,021

$368 COP 1.3M

-81.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$154 KES 19.8K

$826 COP 3.0M

-81.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$115 KES 14.8K

$716 COP 2.6M

-83.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$389 KES 50.2K

$546 COP 2.0M

-28.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.84

13.43

10.50%

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

Last update for Machakos: April 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $92.4 in Machakos and $487 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 40% 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: $39.00 in Machakos vs $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $165 vs $190, with Machakos cheaper for home cooking.

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 128% 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, Medellin earns 40% 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: $92.4 in Machakos versus $487 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $453 per month in Machakos versus $1,034 in Medellin – a 128% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $453 in Machakos versus $1,034 in Medellin, a $1,000 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 work as nomad bases, but Machakos delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $453 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Machakos hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Machakos and Medellin are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Machakos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 128% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.