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: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,289 in Addis Ababa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,927 in Addis Ababa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $2,564 in Addis Ababa.

Living in Medellin is roughly 30% more expensive than in Addis Ababa, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Addis Ababa is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$4.02 ETB 646

99.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$43.13 ETB 6,928

10.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$6.64 ETB 1,067

48.95%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$0.95 ETB 153

229.47%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$0.59 ETB 94.5

223.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.64 ETB 103

135.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$0.81 ETB 130

285.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$2.29 ETB 368

151.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.09 ETB 175

32.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$1.21 ETB 194

105.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$2.20 ETB 354

-19.55%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$1.81 ETB 291

63.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$7.57 ETB 1,216

33.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$10.15 ETB 1,630

-0.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$9.29 ETB 1,493

53.93%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$5.48 ETB 881

-24.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$0.63 ETB 102

155.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$2.21 ETB 355

1.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$0.69 ETB 111

226.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$0.50 ETB 80.2

308.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$1.06 ETB 170

45.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$0.64 ETB 103

82.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.61 ETB 98.3

114.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$8.18 ETB 1,314

-52.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$5.64 ETB 905

148.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$0.72 ETB 116

141.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$1.22 ETB 196

135.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.52 ETB 82.9

134.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$20.71 ETB 3,326

288.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$1.30 ETB 209

0.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$0.27 ETB 43.30

711.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$1.95 ETB 314

346.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$0.90 ETB 145

52.22%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$54.1K ETB 8.7M

-48.52%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$55.2K ETB 8.9M

-35.15%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$202 ETB 32.5K

-12.42%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$7.10 ETB 1,140

95.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$208 ETB 33.4K

-85.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$44.76 ETB 7,191

0.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$36.56 ETB 5,874

-53.17%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$3.66 ETB 588

81.69%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$139 ETB 22.3K

485.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$30.6K ETB 4.9M

-69.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$32.99 ETB 5,300

171.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$69.9 ETB 11.2K

-15.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$78.6 ETB 12.6K

75.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$82.5 ETB 13.2K

23.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$694 ETB 111.5K

53.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$393 ETB 63.2K

68.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$2,237 ETB 359.4K

-15.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$770 ETB 123.8K

33.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$1,990 ETB 319.7K

110.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$1,023 ETB 164.3K

63.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$206 ETB 33.1K

228.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

18.5

-40.86%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Addis Ababa: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $694 in Addis Ababa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 229% 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: $48.00 in Medellin vs $43.00 in Addis Ababa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $215 per month, with Addis Ababa 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 30% in total monthly costs ($1,681 vs $1,289 including rent). Addis Ababa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 229% 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $694 in Addis Ababa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,681 per month in Medellin versus $1,289 in Addis Ababa – a 30% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Addis Ababa runs roughly 289% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,289 in Addis Ababa versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Addis Ababa but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Addis Ababa 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 Addis Ababa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.