Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Addis Ababa Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Addis Ababa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,031 in Medellin versus $1,429 in Addis Ababa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $2,079 in Addis Ababa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $2,730 in Addis Ababa.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 28% less than in Addis Ababa, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% below, Addis Ababa is 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.0K

$4.44 ETB 704

38.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.0K

$35.55 ETB 5,634

-8.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$6.67 ETB 1,058

10.04%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,592

$1.30 ETB 206

32.31%

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

$1.05 COP 3,416

$0.63 ETB 100

66.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,511

$0.43 ETB 68.4

79.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,480

$0.97 ETB 154

74.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$2.93 ETB 465

8.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,418

$1.46 ETB 231

-28.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,230

$1.33 ETB 211

-2.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,538

$2.15 ETB 341

-34.88%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,037

$2.40 ETB 380

-10.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$7.12 ETB 1,128

-38.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$13.71 ETB 2,173

-57.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$13.07 ETB 2,071

-33.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,415

$6.66 ETB 1,055

-65.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,599

$1.04 ETB 165

6.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,976

$2.19 ETB 348

-30.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,405

$0.98 ETB 155

37.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,669

$0.63 ETB 99.9

79.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,687

$1.91 ETB 303

-40.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,749

$0.66 ETB 105

28.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,971

$0.68 ETB 108

33.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,619

$3.97 ETB 629

-41.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.2K

$5.68 ETB 901

117.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,904

$1.04 ETB 164

15.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,094

$1.83 ETB 290

36.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,724

$0.44 ETB 69.8

90.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 131.9K

$12.19 ETB 1,932

232.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,617

$1.43 ETB 226

-0.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,227

$0.29 ETB 46.37

562.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$2.04 ETB 323

275.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,219

$1.25 ETB 198

-20.80%

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

$18.0K COP 58.6M

$55.6K ETB 8.8M

-67.57%

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

$26.6K COP 86.6M

$54.3K ETB 8.6M

-50.97%

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

$80.8 COP 262.7K

$163 ETB 25.8K

-50.30%

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

$9.95 COP 32.3K

$12.23 ETB 1,938

-18.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.6K

$129 ETB 20.5K

-81.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.5K

$69.4 ETB 11.0K

-63.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$36.29 ETB 5,752

-47.23%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$5.82 ETB 923

-31.62%

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

$305 COP 992.2K

$80.5 ETB 12.8K

279.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$40.0K ETB 6.3M

-84.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.0K

$47.75 ETB 7,568

21.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.7K

$74.4 ETB 11.8K

-56.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.5K

$91.4 ETB 14.5K

10.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.3K

$116 ETB 18.4K

-7.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.5M

$732 ETB 116.0K

-34.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$511 ETB 81.1K

-26.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$1,816 ETB 287.9K

-53.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$885 ETB 140.3K

-17.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$1,969 ETB 312.1K

63.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$992 ETB 157.2K

38.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

$200 ETB 31.7K

207.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

-21.00%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Last update for Addis Ababa: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $732 in Addis Ababa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 208% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $36.00 in Addis Ababa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $265 per month, with Medellin 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

Medellin vs Addis Ababa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Addis Ababa differ by about 39% in total monthly costs ($1,031 vs $1,429 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 208% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $477 in Medellin versus $732 in Addis Ababa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,031 per month in Medellin versus $1,429 in Addis Ababa – a 39% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 233% less than in Addis Ababa. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,031 in Medellin versus $1,429 in Addis Ababa, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Addis Ababa. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin 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 Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Addis Ababa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.