Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cape Town Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cape Town

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,034 per month in Medellin vs $1,276 in Cape Town, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,577 per month in Medellin vs $1,991 in Cape Town, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,120 per month in Medellin vs $2,706 in Cape Town, rent included.

Medellin is about 19% cheaper than Cape Town, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Medellin and Cape Town are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 23% lower, Cape Town 5% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$10.74 R 180

-44.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$45.10 R 756

-27.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$5.18 R 87.0

39.00%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$1.99 R 33.30

-14.57%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$1.15 R 19.27

-4.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.81 R 13.60

-11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$2.72 R 45.63

-38.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$2.55 R 42.82

21.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$1.15 R 19.21

-7.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$1.06 R 17.74

17.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$1.83 R 30.72

-24.04%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$2.37 R 39.71

-4.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$8.42 R 141

-48.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$5.09 R 85.3

14.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$7.65 R 128

15.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$1.57 R 26.37

42.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$1.47 R 24.72

-26.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$1.50 R 25.18

2.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$1.52 R 25.53

-9.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$1.07 R 17.96

5.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$1.19 R 19.88

-5.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$1.05 R 17.63

-19.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$0.98 R 16.49

-7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$3.04 R 51.0

-23.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$6.21 R 104

79.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$1.35 R 22.56

-11.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$1.69 R 28.33

40.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$0.97 R 16.23

-18.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

$46.67 R 783

-11.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$1.38 R 23.10

4.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$0.95 R 16.01

101.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$4.58 R 76.8

75.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$1.24 R 20.85

-24.19%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$21.2K R 354.8K

-15.30%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$24.3K R 408.0K

10.11%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$99.6 R 1,670

-15.71%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$32.98 R 553

-70.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$40.97 R 687

-41.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$41.05 R 688

-36.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

$8.02 R 135

137.41%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$6.69 R 112

-41.41%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$212 R 3,558

44.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$5,357 R 89.8K

10.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$55.0 R 922

5.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$33.44 R 561

-4.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$111 R 1,864

-10.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$83.9 R 1,407

27.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$769 R 12.9K

-36.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$508 R 8,524

-27.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$1,430 R 24.0K

-42.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$1,034 R 17.3K

-30.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$2,213 R 37.1K

32.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

$1,436 R 24.1K

-2.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

$1,670 R 28.0K

-67.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

11.77

14.10%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $487 in Medellin versus $769 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 206% higher in Cape Town, 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 $33.00 in Medellin versus $45.00 in Cape Town. Groceries tell a different story – $190 in Medellin vs $187 in Cape Town – so Cape Town wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Cape Town costs about 23% more than Medellin, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,550 per month in Medellin and $1,914 in Cape Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, 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 $1,034 in Medellin and $1,276 in Cape Town. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 13% less in Medellin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,034, than in Cape Town at $1,276. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cape Town it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Medellin costs $1,034 versus $1,276 in Cape Town. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cape Town makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.