Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Benoni Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Benoni

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,687 in Medellin versus $1,100 in Benoni.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,535 in Medellin versus $1,355 in Benoni.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,383 in Medellin versus $1,610 in Benoni.

Living in Medellin is roughly 53% more expensive than in Benoni, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Benoni is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.89 COP 24.2K

$10.10 R 163

-21.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.53 COP 136.5K

$39.46 R 636

12.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.29 COP 28.5K

$5.75 R 92.6

61.57%

Cappuccino

$2.90 COP 8,874

$2.35 R 37.83

23.40%

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

$1.81 COP 5,541

$1.21 R 19.53

49.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 COP 4,741

$0.89 R 14.32

74.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 COP 9,962

$2.10 R 33.80

54.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 COP 18.0K

$2.73 R 43.95

115.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 COP 4,230

$1.27 R 20.53

8.66%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 COP 7,517

$1.16 R 18.74

111.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,617

$1.74 R 28.08

-13.22%

Eggs

$2.78 COP 8,516

$2.61 R 41.97

6.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 COP 27.7K

$8.50 R 137

6.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.65 COP 32.6K

$4.98 R 80.3

113.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.63 COP 44.8K

$7.31 R 118

100.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.2K

$1.85 R 29.74

114.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,219

$1.69 R 27.29

-18.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,056

$1.81 R 29.12

27.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.02 COP 6,185

$1.70 R 27.36

18.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 COP 6,390

$1.25 R 20.18

67.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 COP 4,996

$1.28 R 20.68

27.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 COP 3,313

$1.25 R 20.19

-13.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,843

$1.29 R 20.71

-3.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.03 COP 12.4K

$3.42 R 55.1

17.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 COP 41.3K

$5.25 R 84.5

156.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 4,904

$1.61 R 25.99

-0.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 COP 9,189

$1.92 R 30.99

56.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,611

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.9 COP 244.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 COP 4,920

$0.32 R 5.20

403.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,533

$0.90 R 14.53

136.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 COP 26.1K

$14.88 R 240

-42.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,142

$1.55 R 24.97

-12.90%

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

$28.3K COP 86.8M

$36.8K R 593.2K

-23.10%

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

$35.7K COP 109.4M

$32.0K R 516.2K

11.38%

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

$151 COP 463.8K

$207 R 3,330

-26.77%

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

$13.10 COP 40.1K

$37.43 R 603

-65.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.30 COP 99.0K

$38.80 R 625

-16.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.33 COP 141.9K

$18.56 R 299

149.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.26 COP 52.9K

Cinema Ticket

$6.43 COP 19.7K

$7.55 R 122

-14.83%

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

$835 COP 2.6M

$257 R 4,140

224.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,887 COP 27.2M

$5,540 R 89.2K

60.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 COP 273.7K

$54.8 R 882

63.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 COP 169.5K

$32.36 R 521

70.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 418.5K

$95.7 R 1,542

42.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 335.1K

$83.9 R 1,351

30.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$952 COP 2.9M

$406 R 6,539

134.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$668 COP 2.0M

$314 R 5,050

113.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 COP 6.2M

$498 R 8,029

305.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 COP 3.5M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,696 COP 11.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,586 COP 4.9M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$625 COP 1.9M

$2,049 R 33.0K

-69.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.43

10.91

-4.40%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 17, 2026

Last update for Benoni: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $952 in Medellin and $406 in Benoni. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Benoni pays 228% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Medellin vs $39.00 in Benoni for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $198 per month, with Benoni 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 Benoni: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Benoni differ by about 53% in total monthly costs ($1,687 vs $1,100 including rent). Benoni is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 228% lower in Benoni. 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: $952 in Medellin versus $406 in Benoni. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,687 per month in Medellin versus $1,100 in Benoni – a 53% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,100 in Benoni versus $1,687 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Benoni but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Benoni 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.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Benoni 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 Benoni gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.