Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Byumba Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Byumba

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,716 per month in Medellin vs $413 in Byumba, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,527 per month in Medellin vs $646 in Byumba, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,338 per month in Medellin vs $880 in Byumba, rent included.

Medellin costs about 316% more than Byumba, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Byumba is 70% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.2K

$2.32 RWF 3,408

246.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 151.7K

$27.63 RWF 40.5K

74.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.7K

$6.68 RWF 9,791

46.26%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,149

$2.34 RWF 3,432

24.36%

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

$1.94 COP 6,110

$0.77 RWF 1,136

151.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,783

$0.54 RWF 794

181.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,721

$1.05 RWF 1,533

194.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 18.1K

$2.62 RWF 3,847

119.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,287

$0.74 RWF 1,080

83.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,505

$1.03 RWF 1,513

132.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,346

$1.31 RWF 1,926

29.77%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 9,021

$1.61 RWF 2,355

78.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.2K

$4.29 RWF 6,296

131.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.9K

$4.43 RWF 6,499

143.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.3K

$4.24 RWF 6,209

247.41%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$2.43 RWF 3,570

68.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,940

$0.83 RWF 1,219

89.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,682

$1.54 RWF 2,254

38.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,959

$0.99 RWF 1,456

123.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,435

$0.50 RWF 738

310.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,728

$0.72 RWF 1,060

108.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,740

$0.68 RWF 1,001

75.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,640

$0.80 RWF 1,178

45.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$2.03 RWF 2,969

92.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.4K

$10.26 RWF 15.0K

40.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,978

$0.90 RWF 1,317

75.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,889

$1.60 RWF 2,345

76.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,672

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 244.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,038

$2.78 RWF 4,070

-53.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,576

$1.99 RWF 2,918

5.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 27.1K

$3.42 RWF 5,007

152.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,080

$1.79 RWF 2,624

-27.37%

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

$27.7K COP 86.9M

$26.1K RWF 38.3M

5.94%

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

$35.5K COP 111.6M

$30.1K RWF 44.1M

18.05%

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

$176 COP 553.4K

$85.2 RWF 124.9K

106.70%

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

$13.37 COP 42.0K

$7.12 RWF 10.4K

87.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 94.0K

$20.95 RWF 30.7K

42.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 140.7K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.6K

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.5K

$3.39 RWF 4,969

82.89%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$114 RWF 167.8K

593.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.4M

$6,675 RWF 9.8M

35.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 269.1K

$17.30 RWF 25.4K

394.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 183.8K

$15.37 RWF 22.5K

280.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 428.4K

$22.50 RWF 33.0K

505.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 324.1K

$33.35 RWF 48.9K

209.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

16.2

-32.47%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Byumba: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $28.00 in Byumba. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $303 vs $149 – making Byumba the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Byumba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 316% more than Byumba, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,574 per month in Medellin and $619 in Byumba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin and $28.00 in Byumba. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 104% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Byumba, where all-in costs run around $413, than in Medellin at $1,716. In Byumba it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Byumba costs $413 versus $1,716 in Medellin. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Byumba. 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.