Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Durbanville

For one person, living is cheaper in Durbanville: $1,153 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 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
56

Cost of Living Index in Durbanville
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Durbanville Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Durbanville

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,153

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Durbanville

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,153 in Durbanville, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Durbanville $1,153

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,834 in Durbanville, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Durbanville $1,834

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,516 in Durbanville, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Durbanville $2,516

Medellin costs about 42% more than Durbanville, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Durbanville is 15% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.4K

$12.29 R 205

-34.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.0K

$46.72 R 778

0.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 29.9K

$6.00 R 100.0

58.33%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,485

$2.46 R 41.00

22.36%

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

$1.80 COP 5,660

$0.94 R 15.71

91.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,443

$0.63 R 10.55

123.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 9,990

$2.40 R 40.01

32.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$2.80 R 46.60

105.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,751

$1.33 R 22.11

13.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,480

$1.23 R 20.42

93.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,573

$2.16 R 36.04

-18.06%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,093

$3.24 R 54.0

-10.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.1K

$8.97 R 149

13.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.1K

$6.85 R 114

44.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.0K

$9.69 R 161

44.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.5K

$1.91 R 31.79

107.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,883

$1.92 R 32.07

-19.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,867

$1.77 R 29.49

23.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,870

$2.16 R 36.06

0.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,174

$1.55 R 25.76

26.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,000

$1.49 R 24.81

6.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,604

$1.30 R 21.69

-11.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,911

$1.15 R 19.21

7.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$3.58 R 59.6

10.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.0K

$5.95 R 99.1

129.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,221

$1.41 R 23.49

17.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,103

$2.19 R 36.53

3.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,674

$1.54 R 25.60

-24.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 3,989

$0.59 R 9.81

115.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,442

$1.53 R 25.52

33.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

$5.12 R 85.3

66.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,237

$1.61 R 26.78

-16.15%

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

$34.1K COP 107.2M

$35.5K R 591.6K

-4.04%

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

$34.4K R 572.5K

0.92%

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

$170 COP 533.7K

$116 R 1,931

46.38%

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

$13.55 COP 42.6K

$29.03 R 484

-53.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.3K

$40.89 R 681

-31.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

$31.91 R 532

36.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

$10.78 R 180

59.46%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.7K

$9.19 R 153

-24.81%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$266 R 4,435

199.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

$6,797 R 113.3K

34.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 266.5K

$55.6 R 927

52.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 182.3K

$32.11 R 535

80.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 424.6K

$120 R 2,000

12.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 307.9K

$107 R 1,787

-8.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$390 R 6,506

209.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$364 R 6,073

76.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$735 R 12.2K

176.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$732 R 12.2K

38.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

$866 R 14.4K

381.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$683 R 11.4K

179.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$1,033 R 17.2K

-36.40%

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 25, 2026

Last update for Durbanville: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Durbanville

$364 31.6% 43.2% $277

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Durbanville

$226 19.6% 23.8% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Durbanville

$186 16.1% 12% $25

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Durbanville

$170 14.7% 0.1% $0.1

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Durbanville

$142 12.3% 16.1% $27

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Durbanville

$14 * 1.3% 84.6% $79

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Durbanville

$50 4.4% 12.6% $7.3

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $390 in Durbanville. 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 57% higher in Durbanville, 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 $47 in Durbanville. Groceries tell a different story – $297 in Medellin vs $226 in Durbanville – so Durbanville wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇿🇦 Durbanville

🕒 Local time

11:58 11:58 AM

18:58 6:58 PM

7 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

40,000

💱 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 = 3,501 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

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Between locations

Medellin Durbanville 10,790 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Durbanville

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 Durbanville: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 42% more than Durbanville, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,729 in Durbanville. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Durbanville, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $390 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $1,153 in Durbanville. That’s a gap of about 42%.

Groceries cost about 31% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,639 in Medellin and $1,153 in Durbanville. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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