Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mbeya and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Mbeya: $426 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $14,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

21

Cost of Living Index in Mbeya
Learn more

Mbeya Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index

Jump to prices

Mbeya

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$426

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $426 per month in Mbeya vs $1,625 in Medellin, rent included.

Mbeya $426
Medellin $1,625

A couple spends around $656 per month in Mbeya vs $2,412 in Medellin, rent included.

Mbeya $656
Medellin $2,412

A family of three spends $887 per month in Mbeya vs $3,199 in Medellin, rent included.

Mbeya $887
Medellin $3,199

Mbeya is about 74% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Mbeya sits 69% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.68 TZS 59.4K

$46.91 COP 148.7K

-51.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.77 TZS 20.4K

$9.24 COP 29.3K

-15.91%

Cappuccino

$1.52 TZS 3,989

$3.05 COP 9,676

-50.16%

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

$0.37 TZS 958

$1.80 COP 5,707

-79.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 TZS 964

$1.38 COP 4,382

-73.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.72 TZS 1,882

$3.24 COP 10.3K

-77.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

Milk (1 liter)

$0.55 TZS 1,435

$1.50 COP 4,760

-63.33%

White Bread (500g)

$0.93 TZS 2,430

$2.37 COP 7,508

-60.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.92 TZS 2,414

$1.70 COP 5,377

-45.88%

Eggs

$2.32 TZS 6,067

$2.96 COP 9,379

-21.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.80 TZS 9,949

$10.22 COP 32.4K

-62.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.72 TZS 9,734

$9.74 COP 30.9K

-61.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.30 TZS 8,643

$13.90 COP 44.1K

-76.26%

Apples (1kg)

$1.15 TZS 3,003

$4.13 COP 13.1K

-72.15%

Banana (1kg)

$0.78 TZS 2,051

$1.53 COP 4,839

-49.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.99 TZS 2,581

$2.22 COP 7,052

-55.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.73 TZS 1,917

$2.27 COP 7,194

-67.84%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 TZS 2,538

$1.99 COP 6,311

-51.26%

Onion (1kg)

$0.78 TZS 2,053

$1.67 COP 5,285

-53.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 TZS 1,465

$1.18 COP 3,742

-52.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 TZS 1,883

$1.24 COP 3,919

-41.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.14 TZS 2,998

$3.87 COP 12.3K

-70.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.72 TZS 9,744

$13.78 COP 43.7K

-73.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 TZS 2,045

$1.66 COP 5,256

-53.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 TZS 3,038

$2.40 COP 7,615

-51.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 TZS 1,036

$1.24 COP 3,944

-67.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 TZS 2,891

$1.28 COP 4,044

-14.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 TZS 4,834

$2.15 COP 6,803

-13.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.61 TZS 6,831

$8.37 COP 26.5K

-68.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 TZS 3,204

$1.35 COP 4,288

-9.63%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

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

$23.68 TZS 62.0K

$167 COP 528.4K

-85.79%

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

$18.83 TZS 49.3K

$13.62 COP 43.2K

38.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.09 TZS 120.7K

$29.12 COP 92.3K

58.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.78 TZS 98.9K

$45.09 COP 143.0K

-16.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$9.50 TZS 24.9K

$6.97 COP 22.1K

36.30%

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

$191 TZS 500.6K

$790 COP 2.5M

-75.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,129 TZS 3.0M

$9,041 COP 28.7M

-87.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$11.42 TZS 29.9K

$87.8 COP 278.4K

-86.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$9.23 TZS 24.2K

$58.2 COP 184.4K

-84.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$19.08 TZS 50.0K

$139 COP 440.7K

-86.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$26.12 TZS 68.4K

$98.9 COP 313.5K

-73.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$114 TZS 297.4K

$1,028 COP 3.3M

-88.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$76.4 TZS 200.0K

$620 COP 2.0M

-87.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$187 TZS 491.0K

$1,881 COP 6.0M

-90.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$112 TZS 292.3K

$1,008 COP 3.2M

-88.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$191 TZS 501.5K

$663 COP 2.1M

-71.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

18.83%

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

Last update for Mbeya: October 19, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Mbeya

$115 26.9%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 160% $183

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mbeya

$89 20.8%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 136% $121

Accommodation & Living

Mbeya

$76 17.9%

Medellin

$619 38.1% 711% $543

Sport & Entertainment

Mbeya

$57 13.3%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 4% $2.3

Eating Out

Mbeya

$48 * 11.3%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 255% $123

Clothing & Footwear

Mbeya

$30 7%

Medellin

$173 10.6% 483% $143

Getting Around

Mbeya

$12 * 2.8%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 699% $83

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $114 in Mbeya versus $1,028 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 246% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $23.00 in Mbeya versus $47.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $115 vs $298 – making Mbeya the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇹🇿 Mbeya

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

15:22 3:22 PM

07:22 7:22 AM

8 h behind Mbeya

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

541,603

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Tanzanian Shilling TZS Sh

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 TZS = 3.82 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.4 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to TZS – Tanzanian Shilling Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇿 Tanzanian Shilling (Sh)

Tanzanian Shilling exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 2,619 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.82 USD). 1 EUR = 2,944 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.4 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 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 TZS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mbeya Medellin 12,200 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Mbeya
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

Mbeya vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 281%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $639 per month in Mbeya and $2,437 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mbeya, 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 $426 in Mbeya and $1,625 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 281%.

Kindergarten costs $191 per month in Mbeya and $790 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Mbeya, where all-in costs run around $426, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Mbeya it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mbeya – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Mbeya. 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.