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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,383 in Addis Ababa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $2,083 in Addis Ababa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $2,783 in Addis Ababa.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 27% less than in Addis Ababa, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 24% below, Addis Ababa is 3% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$4.55 ETB 724

31.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.2K

$35.04 ETB 5,574

-6.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$6.41 ETB 1,019

10.61%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,105

$1.24 ETB 198

37.90%

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

$1.10 COP 3,918

$0.69 ETB 110

59.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,776

$0.43 ETB 68.3

81.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,987

$0.99 ETB 157

69.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 10.9K

$2.97 ETB 472

3.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,899

$1.44 ETB 230

-24.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,500

$1.33 ETB 212

-5.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,914

$2.17 ETB 346

-36.41%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,813

$2.43 ETB 387

-9.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$7.29 ETB 1,159

-39.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$13.73 ETB 2,184

-58.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.7K

$13.09 ETB 2,082

-32.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,334

$6.68 ETB 1,063

-64.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,771

$0.98 ETB 156

8.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,365

$2.19 ETB 348

-31.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,915

$0.99 ETB 158

39.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,104

$0.68 ETB 108

69.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,148

$1.81 ETB 288

-35.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,176

$0.68 ETB 109

30.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,992

$0.64 ETB 102

31.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,131

$4.02 ETB 639

-43.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 37.9K

$5.77 ETB 918

84.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,276

$0.99 ETB 158

21.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,809

$1.89 ETB 301

30.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,051

$0.43 ETB 68.6

100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.6K

$12.21 ETB 1,943

239.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,255

$1.48 ETB 236

-0.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 6,997

$0.27 ETB 42.56

625.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$2.05 ETB 326

277.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,403

$1.24 ETB 197

-23.39%

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

$18.1K COP 64.6M

$55.4K ETB 8.8M

-67.29%

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

$26.5K COP 94.4M

$54.0K ETB 8.6M

-50.96%

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

$82.3 COP 293.2K

$157 ETB 25.0K

-47.66%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$12.11 ETB 1,927

-21.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.4K

$129 ETB 20.5K

-81.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.3K

$69.5 ETB 11.1K

-62.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.7K

$36.71 ETB 5,841

-48.24%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$5.86 ETB 932

-32.94%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$81.1 ETB 12.9K

281.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$41.1K ETB 6.5M

-85.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.1K

$46.81 ETB 7,447

25.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.3K

$74.1 ETB 11.8K

-56.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 365.7K

$93.3 ETB 14.8K

9.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 386.5K

$115 ETB 18.4K

-6.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$758 ETB 120.7K

-37.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$495 ETB 78.8K

-23.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$1,819 ETB 289.5K

-53.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$890 ETB 141.5K

-18.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

$1,981 ETB 315.1K

40.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$1,009 ETB 160.5K

20.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$206 ETB 32.8K

147.96%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Addis Ababa: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $758 in Addis Ababa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 148% 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 $35.00 in Addis Ababa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 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 37% in total monthly costs ($1,013 vs $1,383 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Medellin pays 148% more on average, 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: $476 in Medellin versus $758 in Addis Ababa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,013 per month in Medellin versus $1,383 in Addis Ababa – a 37% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 239% less than in Addis Ababa. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,383 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 37% less than in Addis Ababa. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.