Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Butare Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Butare

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,034 in Medellin versus $476 in Butare.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,577 in Medellin versus $734 in Butare.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,120 in Medellin versus $993 in Butare.

Living in Medellin is roughly 117% more expensive than Butare, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Butare 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.5K

$1.78 RWF 2,599

232.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 119.1K

$21.03 RWF 30.7K

55.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.2K

$5.48 RWF 8,013

31.39%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,186

$1.71 RWF 2,503

-0.58%

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

$1.10 COP 3,996

$0.53 RWF 778

107.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,625

$0.36 RWF 532

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,067

$0.66 RWF 969

153.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.3K

$1.01 RWF 1,481

206.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,837

$0.40 RWF 577

165.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,531

$0.90 RWF 1,320

38.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,060

$0.96 RWF 1,401

44.79%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,229

$1.47 RWF 2,149

53.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.8K

$2.28 RWF 3,324

89.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.2K

$3.01 RWF 4,396

94.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 32.1K

$2.78 RWF 4,056

217.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,159

$2.22 RWF 3,240

0.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,911

$0.88 RWF 1,282

22.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,563

$1.17 RWF 1,714

30.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,987

$0.78 RWF 1,147

75.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,109

$0.34 RWF 499

232.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,067

$0.43 RWF 626

160.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,080

$0.35 RWF 509

142.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,305

$0.58 RWF 844

56.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,477

$1.25 RWF 1,833

86.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.5K

$10.35 RWF 15.1K

7.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,342

$0.90 RWF 1,312

32.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,617

$1.37 RWF 2,002

72.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,859

$0.29 RWF 428

172.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 149.6K

$9.97 RWF 14.6K

312.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,223

$2.12 RWF 3,095

-32.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,952

$0.91 RWF 1,323

109.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 29.2K

$3.92 RWF 5,725

104.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,410

$0.71 RWF 1,042

32.39%

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

$17.9K COP 65.2M

$16.6K RWF 24.3M

7.65%

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

$26.8K COP 97.4M

$8,748 RWF 12.8M

206.24%

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

$84.0 COP 305.4K

$37.09 RWF 54.2K

126.37%

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

$9.60 COP 34.9K

$8.97 RWF 13.1K

7.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.9K

$17.85 RWF 26.1K

35.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 94.1K

$25.27 RWF 36.9K

2.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 69.3K

$5.57 RWF 8,138

241.83%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.2K

$3.44 RWF 5,026

13.95%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$93.2 RWF 136.1K

228.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.5M

$1,321 RWF 1.9M

348.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 210.6K

$13.64 RWF 19.9K

324.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 115.7K

$19.17 RWF 28.0K

65.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 363.3K

$24.28 RWF 35.5K

311.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 389.7K

$30.80 RWF 45.0K

247.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$207 RWF 302.3K

135.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$138 RWF 201.8K

166.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$313 RWF 456.9K

163.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$239 RWF 349.5K

199.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

16.2

-17.10%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Last update for Butare: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Medellin and $207 in Butare. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $21.00 in Butare for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $116 per month, with Butare 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 Butare: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Butare wins on cost – living expenses run 117% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Butare the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,550 in Medellin and $714 in Butare to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $487 in Medellin versus $207 in Butare. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Butare – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,034 per month in Medellin versus $476 in Butare – a 117% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $476 in Butare versus $1,034 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Butare but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Butare the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Butare delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $476 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Butare hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Butare 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 Butare gentler on the wallet – expenses run 117% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.