Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Durban

For one person, living is cheaper in Durban: $1,130 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Durban
Learn more

Durban Living Index

Jump to prices

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Durban

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,130

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Durban

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,130 in Durban, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Durban $1,130

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,748 in Durban, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Durban $1,748

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,366 in Durban, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Durban $2,366

Medellin costs about 45% more than Durban, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Durban is 17% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.4K

$7.93 R 132

2.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.0K

$39.14 R 652

20.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 29.9K

$6.15 R 103

54.47%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,485

$2.73 R 45.52

10.26%

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

$1.80 COP 5,660

$1.12 R 18.58

60.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,443

$0.91 R 15.22

54.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 9,990

$2.43 R 40.48

30.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$2.48 R 41.39

131.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,751

$1.17 R 19.51

29.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,480

$1.01 R 16.75

135.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,573

$1.50 R 24.96

18.00%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,093

$2.43 R 40.49

18.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.1K

$8.22 R 137

23.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.1K

$5.32 R 88.6

85.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.0K

$7.28 R 121

92.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.5K

$1.95 R 32.45

103.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,883

$1.95 R 32.45

-20.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,867

$1.94 R 32.35

12.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,870

$1.65 R 27.42

32.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,174

$1.55 R 25.81

26.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,000

$1.46 R 24.32

8.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,604

$1.17 R 19.41

-1.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,911

$1.14 R 18.96

8.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$3.64 R 60.7

8.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.0K

$4.73 R 78.9

189.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,221

$1.41 R 23.42

17.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,103

$1.89 R 31.57

19.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,674

$1.79 R 29.78

-34.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

$21.32 R 355

262.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 3,989

$0.41 R 6.78

209.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,442

$0.76 R 12.59

169.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

$7.72 R 129

10.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,237

$1.49 R 24.83

-9.40%

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

$34.1K COP 107.2M

$35.5K R 591.4K

-4.01%

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

$32.3K R 538.6K

7.28%

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

$170 COP 533.7K

$148 R 2,460

14.92%

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

$13.55 COP 42.6K

$35.49 R 591

-61.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.3K

$39.45 R 657

-28.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

$31.01 R 517

40.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

$8.61 R 143

99.65%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.7K

$7.39 R 123

-6.50%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$317 R 5,274

151.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

$7,714 R 128.5K

18.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 266.5K

$53.2 R 887

59.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 182.3K

$30.50 R 508

90.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 424.6K

$99.1 R 1,651

36.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 307.9K

$85.0 R 1,417

15.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$445 R 7,414

171.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$374 R 6,240

71.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$814 R 13.6K

149.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$744 R 12.4K

36.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

$820 R 13.7K

408.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$565 R 9,419

237.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$1,280 R 21.3K

-48.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.78

-7.13%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Durban: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Durban

$374 33.1% 41.6% $267

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Durban

$194 17.2% 34.6% $103

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Durban

$223 19.7% 5.3% $11

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Durban

$140 12.4% 17.5% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Durban

$121 10.7% 28.7% $48

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Durban

$33 2.9% 65.1% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Durban

$46 4.1% 20.4% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $445 in Durban. 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 95% higher in Durban, 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 in Medellin versus $39 in Durban. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $194 – making Durban the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇿🇦 Durban

🕒 Local time

18:47 6:47 PM

01:47 1:47 AM

7 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

3,442,361

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

100 ZAR = 6 USD

100 ZAR = 5.39 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 16.66 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6 USD). 1 EUR = 18.55 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Durban 11,950 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Durban

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 Durban: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 45%, 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 $1,695 in Durban. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Durban, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $445 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $1,130 in Durban. That makes Durban about 31% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 72% less in Durban. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Durban, where all-in costs run around $1,130, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Durban it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, Durban is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 31% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.