Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cape Town

For one person, living costs are similar in Medellin and in Cape Town: $1,589 and $1,568 a month, rent and utilities included.

77

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Cape Town
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Cape Town Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,589

/mo nomad

Cape Town

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,568

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Cape Town

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 Cape Town actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,589 per month in Medellin vs $1,568 in Cape Town, rent included.

Medellin $1,589
Cape Town $1,568

A couple spends around $2,364 per month in Medellin vs $2,438 in Cape Town, rent included.

Medellin $2,364
Cape Town $2,438

A family of three spends $3,139 per month in Medellin vs $3,307 in Cape Town, rent included.

Medellin $3,139
Cape Town $3,307

Medellin costs about 1% more than Cape Town, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Medellin and Cape Town sit above the global median – Medellin by 19%, Cape Town by 17%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.01 COP 25.8K

$11.78 R 195

-32.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 COP 149.9K

$46.55 R 772

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 COP 30.4K

$5.96 R 98.9

58.22%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,374

$2.47 R 41.01

17.81%

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

$1.75 COP 5,643

$1.33 R 22.03

31.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 COP 4,263

$1.03 R 17.08

28.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$3.01 R 49.98

3.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 COP 17.9K

$3.66 R 60.8

51.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 COP 4,542

$1.39 R 23.08

1.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 COP 7,858

$1.19 R 19.70

105.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,245

$2.11 R 35.02

-22.75%

Eggs

$2.82 COP 9,084

$3.01 R 49.84

-6.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 COP 31.2K

$8.96 R 149

8.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 COP 30.0K

$6.65 R 110

40.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.46 COP 43.3K

$9.29 R 154

44.89%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 COP 12.9K

$1.83 R 30.28

118.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,768

$1.90 R 31.47

-22.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 COP 6,839

$1.75 R 28.98

21.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,253

$2.09 R 34.59

7.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 COP 6,155

$1.55 R 25.78

23.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 COP 5,214

$1.49 R 24.65

8.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,696

$1.30 R 21.53

-11.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 COP 4,063

$1.16 R 19.29

8.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 COP 12.3K

$3.71 R 61.5

2.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.11 COP 42.2K

$6.06 R 101

116.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 5,136

$1.39 R 22.97

15.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,263

$2.20 R 36.51

2.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,770

$1.51 R 25.11

-22.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.0 COP 241.5K

$61.0 R 1,011

23.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,098

$0.63 R 10.38

101.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,600

$1.53 R 25.42

33.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.20 COP 26.4K

$4.81 R 79.8

70.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 COP 4,088

$1.58 R 26.22

-19.62%

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

$26.8K COP 86.2M

$35.5K R 588.7K

-24.57%

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

$34.4K COP 110.8M

$31.7K R 526.6K

8.36%

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

$162 COP 522.3K

$116 R 1,930

39.38%

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

$13.12 COP 42.3K

$28.37 R 471

-53.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.09 COP 90.5K

$40.69 R 675

-30.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.33 COP 142.7K

$48.85 R 810

-9.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 COP 52.6K

$11.13 R 185

46.72%

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 COP 19.6K

$8.83 R 146

-31.03%

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

$764 COP 2.5M

$261 R 4,336

192.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,904 COP 28.7M

$6,702 R 111.2K

32.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.0 COP 273.6K

$55.4 R 919

53.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 COP 185.1K

$32.27 R 535

78.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 COP 424.2K

$118 R 1,949

12.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 COP 308.3K

$107 R 1,775

-10.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$1,015 R 16.8K

1.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 COP 1.9M

$715 R 11.9K

-15.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,802 COP 5.8M

$1,801 R 29.9K

0.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$993 COP 3.2M

$1,330 R 22.1K

-25.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,921 COP 12.6M

$2,331 R 38.7K

68.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,639 COP 5.3M

$1,513 R 25.1K

8.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 COP 2.0M

$1,636 R 27.1K

-61.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

10.97

-0.27%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$604 38.3%

Cape Town

$715 45.3% 18.4% $111

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$288 18.3%

Cape Town

$222 14.1% 22.9% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$203 12.9%

Cape Town

$185 11.7% 8.8% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Cape Town

$141 8.9% 15.6% $26

Eating Out

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Cape Town

$174 11% 4.4% $7.3

Getting Around

Medellin

$91 5.8%

Cape Town

$75 4.8% 17.5% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.6%

Cape Town

$67 4.2% 17.7% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $1,015 in Cape Town. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 161% higher in Cape Town, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin versus $47.00 in Cape Town. Groceries tell a different story – $288 in Medellin vs $222 in Cape Town – so Cape Town wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇿🇦 Cape Town

🕒 Local time

20:49 8:49 PM

03:49 3:49 AM

7 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

3,740,026 Capital

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.11 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.03 USD

100 ZAR = 5.38 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,220 COP (10,000 COP = 3.11 USD). 1 EUR = 3,611 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.59 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.03 USD). 1 EUR = 18.6 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.38 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Cape Town 10,770 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Cape Town

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 Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 1% more than Cape Town, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,384 per month in Medellin and $2,352 in Cape Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cape Town, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,589 in Medellin and $1,568 in Cape Town. That's a gap of about 1%.

Public transport costs about 23% less in Cape Town. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Cape Town, where all-in costs run around $1,568, than in Medellin at $1,589. In Cape Town it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cape Town costs $1,568 versus $1,589 in Medellin. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Cape Town. 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.