Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Dar es Salaam

For one person, living is cheaper in Dar es Salaam: $702 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Dar es Salaam
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Dar es Salaam Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Dar es Salaam

🇹🇿 Tanzania

$702

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Dar es Salaam

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 Dar es Salaam actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $702 in Dar es Salaam, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Dar es Salaam $702

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,108 in Dar es Salaam, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Dar es Salaam $1,108

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,514 in Dar es Salaam, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Dar es Salaam $1,514

Medellin costs about 134% more than Dar es Salaam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Dar es Salaam is 48% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.6K

$1.87 TZS 4,890

332.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.9K

$18.77 TZS 49.2K

150.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$7.72 TZS 20.2K

23.06%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,540

$2.01 TZS 5,272

49.75%

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

$1.80 COP 5,693

$0.37 TZS 981

386.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,469

$0.22 TZS 577

540.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$0.93 TZS 2,431

241.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.2K

$1.87 TZS 4,905

207.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,778

$0.82 TZS 2,157

84.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,524

$0.62 TZS 1,622

283.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,606

$1.09 TZS 2,865

62.39%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,146

$1.85 TZS 4,845

56.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.2K

$9.16 TZS 24.0K

11.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.2K

$4.72 TZS 12.4K

109.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.3K

$4.00 TZS 10.5K

249.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.6K

$2.47 TZS 6,481

60.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,911

$1.07 TZS 2,800

44.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,907

$1.03 TZS 2,694

111.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,910

$0.89 TZS 2,324

144.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,210

$0.93 TZS 2,442

110.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,029

$0.99 TZS 2,593

60.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,625

$0.83 TZS 2,173

38.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,934

$0.39 TZS 1,011

217.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$2.14 TZS 5,605

85.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.3K

$7.27 TZS 19.0K

88.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,252

$0.91 TZS 2,395

82.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,145

$1.54 TZS 4,020

46.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,696

$0.26 TZS 681

350.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 244.8K

$14.54 TZS 38.1K

432.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,013

$1.66 TZS 4,355

-23.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,480

$1.52 TZS 3,992

34.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.1K

$13.17 TZS 34.5K

-35.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,262

$1.36 TZS 3,561

-0.74%

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

$34.1K COP 107.8M

$16.5K TZS 43.2M

106.57%

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

$34.7K COP 109.7M

$26.4K TZS 69.1M

31.50%

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

$170 COP 536.8K

$55.6 TZS 145.7K

205.02%

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

$13.55 COP 42.9K

$9.20 TZS 24.1K

47.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.8K

$33.86 TZS 88.7K

-17.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 138.3K

$83.9 TZS 219.8K

-47.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.4K

$9.73 TZS 25.5K

76.67%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.9K

$4.97 TZS 13.0K

39.03%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$559 TZS 1.5M

42.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.8M

$13.0K TZS 34.2M

-30.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 268.1K

$15.31 TZS 40.1K

453.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 183.4K

$25.76 TZS 67.5K

125.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 427.1K

$44.36 TZS 116.2K

204.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 309.7K

$58.7 TZS 153.8K

66.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$565 TZS 1.5M

113.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$195 TZS 510.0K

229.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$1,345 TZS 3.5M

50.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$433 TZS 1.1M

133.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.2M

$1,541 TZS 4.0M

170.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$1,053 TZS 2.8M

81.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$285 TZS 746.4K

130.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

18.25

-40.05%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Dar es Salaam: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Dar es Salaam

$195 27.8% 69.6% $447

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Dar es Salaam

$152 21.6% 49% $145

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Dar es Salaam

$99 14.1% 53.3% $113

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Dar es Salaam

$73 10.4% 57% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Dar es Salaam

$65 9.3% 61.6% $104

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Dar es Salaam

$25 3.5% 73.4% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Dar es Salaam

$94 13.4% 63.2% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $565 in Dar es Salaam. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Medellin are about 2.3 times higher, 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 $47 in Medellin versus $19 in Dar es Salaam. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $152 – making Dar es Salaam the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇹🇿 Dar es Salaam

🕒 Local time

01:20 1:20 AM

09:20 9:20 AM

8 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

5,383,728

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Tanzanian Shilling TZS Sh

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.16 USD

10,000 COP = 2.84 EUR

10,000 TZS = 3.82 USD

10,000 TZS = 3.43 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TZS, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,164 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,523 COP (10,000 COP = 2.84 EUR).

Tanzanian Shilling exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 2,619 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.82 USD). 1 EUR = 2,916 TZS (10,000 TZS = 3.43 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Dar es Salaam 12,830 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Dar es Salaam

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 Dar es Salaam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 134%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,052 in Dar es Salaam. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Dar es Salaam, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $565 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Medellin and $559 in Dar es Salaam. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 96% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Dar es Salaam, where all-in costs run around $702, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Dar es Salaam it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Dar es Salaam – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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