Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bukavu

For one person, living is cheaper in Bukavu: $679 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Bukavu
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Bukavu Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Bukavu

🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo

$679

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Bukavu

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Bukavu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $679 in Bukavu, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Bukavu $679

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $1,102 in Bukavu, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Bukavu $1,102

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $1,525 in Bukavu, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Bukavu $1,525

Medellin costs about 138% more than Bukavu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Bukavu is 50% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$7.31 CDF 16.6K

8.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$14.75 CDF 33.4K

212.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$4.93 CDF 11.2K

92.70%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$3.90 CDF 8,840

-20.26%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$1.52 CDF 3,436

20.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$0.99 CDF 2,240

39.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$1.98 CDF 4,476

54.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$3.05 CDF 6,911

80.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$1.54 CDF 3,481

-5.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$1.95 CDF 4,423

21.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$1.26 CDF 2,864

33.33%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$4.39 CDF 9,949

-34.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$5.58 CDF 12.6K

82.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$4.58 CDF 10.4K

108.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$6.11 CDF 13.8K

129.79%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$3.94 CDF 8,925

3.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$1.03 CDF 2,328

45.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$1.03 CDF 2,326

110.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$1.21 CDF 2,745

90.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$1.28 CDF 2,891

50.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$1.98 CDF 4,482

-17.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$2.98 CDF 6,759

-62.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$2.02 CDF 4,587

-38.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$4.88 CDF 11.1K

-18.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$14.97 CDF 33.9K

-10.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$2.05 CDF 4,639

-17.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$2.06 CDF 4,664

15.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

$0.24 CDF 543

404.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

$14.79 CDF 33.5K

417.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$3.98 CDF 9,027

-66.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

$0.98 CDF 2,226

118.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$9.83 CDF 22.3K

-13.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$1.72 CDF 3,897

-24.42%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$14.8K CDF 33.6M

88.53%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$17.0K CDF 38.5M

108.14%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$24.74 CDF 56.0K

-45.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

$34.96 CDF 79.2K

29.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

$10.04 CDF 22.7K

69.72%

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$74.3 CDF 168.4K

936.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$1,217 CDF 2.8M

640.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$29.92 CDF 67.8K

188.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$45.26 CDF 102.5K

26.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$50.3 CDF 114.0K

171.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$118 CDF 267.0K

-16.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$99.5 CDF 225.3K

519.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$508 CDF 1.2M

272.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

$204 CDF 461.3K

402.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$984 CDF 2.2M

312.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

$492 CDF 1.1M

241.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

$502 CDF 1.1M

29.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-8.83%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Bukavu: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Bukavu

$99 14.6% 83.8% $516

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Bukavu

$240 35.3% 18.6% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Bukavu

$25 * 3.6% 88.4% $189

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Bukavu

$110 16.1% 35.6% $61

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Bukavu

$146 21.5% 13.2% $22

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Bukavu

$25 3.6% 73.6% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Bukavu

$35 * 5.2% 39.5% $23

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 30% 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 $46.00 in Medellin versus $15.00 in Bukavu. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $240 – making Bukavu the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇩 Bukavu

🕒 Local time

02:34 2:34 AM

09:34 9:34 AM

7 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

816,811

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Congolese Franc CDF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

10,000 CDF = 4.41 USD

10,000 CDF = 3.93 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CDF, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Congolese Franc exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 2,265 CDF (10,000 CDF = 4.41 USD). 1 EUR = 2,547 CDF (10,000 CDF = 3.93 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Bukavu 11,640 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Bukavu

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

Medellin vs Bukavu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 138%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $1,019 in Bukavu. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Public transport costs about 417% less in Bukavu. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $770 per month in Medellin and $74.3 in Bukavu. 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 Bukavu, where all-in costs run around $679, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Bukavu it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

If budget matters most, go with Bukavu. 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.