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 $1,028 per month in Medellin vs $1,251 in Cape Town, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,586 per month in Medellin vs $2,000 in Cape Town, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,144 per month in Medellin vs $2,749 in Cape Town, rent included.

Medellin is about 18% cheaper than Cape Town, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Medellin and Cape Town are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 23% lower, Cape Town 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.00 COP 20.6K

$10.76 R 177

-44.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.84 COP 112.9K

$44.89 R 738

-26.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 COP 25.5K

$4.92 R 80.9

50.81%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,675

$2.02 R 33.20

-18.32%

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

$1.07 COP 3,673

$1.16 R 19.10

-7.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 COP 2,614

$0.84 R 13.79

-9.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,925

$2.81 R 46.20

-38.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 COP 11.0K

$2.45 R 40.24

30.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,607

$1.16 R 19.07

-9.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,492

$1.09 R 17.98

20.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 COP 4,604

$1.89 R 31.11

-29.10%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,543

$2.46 R 40.43

-10.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.41 COP 15.2K

$8.79 R 144

-49.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.69 COP 19.6K

$5.33 R 87.7

6.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.52 COP 29.3K

$7.34 R 121

16.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,046

$1.49 R 24.54

57.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,815

$1.47 R 24.18

-24.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,225

$1.50 R 24.72

1.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,694

$1.53 R 25.12

-10.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 3,962

$1.09 R 17.87

5.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 COP 4,055

$1.22 R 20.11

-3.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 COP 2,893

$1.08 R 17.82

-22.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 COP 2,940

$0.95 R 15.54

-9.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.26 COP 7,776

$3.13 R 51.4

-27.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.60 COP 39.9K

$6.36 R 104

82.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,121

$1.36 R 22.37

-11.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 8,508

$1.68 R 27.57

47.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,729

$0.99 R 16.28

-20.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 140.4K

$47.34 R 778

-13.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,038

$1.37 R 22.44

7.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,587

$0.98 R 16.14

95.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.77 COP 26.7K

$4.44 R 73.0

75.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,474

$1.25 R 20.54

-19.20%

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

$17.7K COP 60.7M

$21.1K R 346.5K

-16.24%

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

$26.5K COP 90.9M

$24.1K R 395.7K

9.90%

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

$81.1 COP 278.8K

$99.5 R 1,636

-18.49%

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

$9.43 COP 32.4K

$32.81 R 539

-71.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.86 COP 82.0K

$40.72 R 669

-41.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.99 COP 89.4K

$41.43 R 681

-37.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.71 COP 64.3K

$7.94 R 130

135.64%

Cinema Ticket

$4.09 COP 14.1K

$6.78 R 112

-39.68%

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

$315 COP 1.1M

$216 R 3,554

45.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,022 COP 20.7M

$5,206 R 85.6K

15.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 COP 205.2K

$56.1 R 922

6.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.97 COP 109.9K

$32.38 R 532

-1.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 347.9K

$113 R 1,850

-10.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 COP 361.3K

$83.4 R 1,370

26.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 COP 1.7M

$769 R 12.6K

-36.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 COP 1.3M

$525 R 8,626

-30.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$827 COP 2.8M

$1,418 R 23.3K

-41.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.5M

$1,009 R 16.6K

-27.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,992 COP 10.3M

$2,374 R 39.0K

26.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,314 COP 4.5M

$1,511 R 24.8K

-13.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$551 COP 1.9M

$1,702 R 28.0K

-67.63%

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: June 15, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $485 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 209% 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 $189 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 22% more than Medellin, with the gap driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,542 per month in Medellin and $1,877 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 $1,028 in Medellin and $1,251 in Cape Town. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 16% 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 $1,028, than in Cape Town at $1,251. 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 $1,028 versus $1,251 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.