Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and East London

For one person, living is cheaper in East London: $992 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 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
48

Cost of Living Index in East London
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East London Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

East London

🇿🇦 South Africa

$992

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in East London

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $992 in East London, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
East London $992

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,611 in East London, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
East London $1,611

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,230 in East London, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
East London $2,230

Medellin costs about 65% more than East London, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while East London is 27% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$9.10 R 151

-11.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.8K

$38.23 R 635

23.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$5.57 R 92.5

70.56%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,729

$2.05 R 34.01

46.83%

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

$1.80 COP 5,806

$1.04 R 17.30

73.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,558

$0.76 R 12.68

85.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

$2.69 R 44.62

18.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$3.21 R 53.3

79.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,873

$1.18 R 19.67

27.97%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,673

$0.87 R 14.51

173.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,716

$1.44 R 23.94

22.92%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,327

$2.27 R 37.75

27.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$8.37 R 139

21.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$5.49 R 91.2

79.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

$6.71 R 111

108.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$1.46 R 24.26

171.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,009

$1.53 R 25.39

1.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,044

$1.63 R 27.12

33.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,047

$1.43 R 23.81

52.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,333

$1.68 R 27.84

16.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,129

$1.43 R 23.69

11.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,696

$1.17 R 19.45

-1.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,012

$0.95 R 15.79

30.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$2.89 R 47.99

37.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$4.70 R 78.0

191.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,356

$1.19 R 19.76

39.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,286

$0.98 R 16.35

130.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,769

$1.47 R 24.48

-20.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.7K

$46.85 R 778

65.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,092

$1.22 R 20.27

4.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,608

$0.46 R 7.58

345.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$8.38 R 139

2.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,346

$1.35 R 22.41

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

$34.1K COP 109.9M

$34.7K R 575.7K

-1.74%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$29.3K R 486.3K

18.40%

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

$170 COP 547.5K

$122 R 2,030

38.74%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$32.64 R 542

-58.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$44.35 R 736

-36.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.0K

$39.51 R 656

10.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$4.54 R 75.4

52.20%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$177 R 2,941

349.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$5,438 R 90.3K

67.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.4K

$56.8 R 944

49.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.0K

$32.80 R 545

76.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.5K

$73.1 R 1,213

84.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.8K

$95.2 R 1,580

2.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$290 R 4,822

315.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$251 R 4,161

156.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$543 R 9,011

273.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$633 R 10.5K

59.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$1,664 R 27.6K

-60.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-0.55%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for East London: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

East London

$251 25.3% 60.9% $391

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

East London

$180 18.1% 39.5% $117

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

East London

$199 20.1% 5.7% $12

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

East London

$141 14.2% 16.8% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

East London

$116 11.7% 31.3% $53

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

East London

$56 5.7% 39.9% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

East London

$49 4.9% 15.5% $8.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $290 in East London. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in East London are about 2.5 times higher, 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 $38 in East London. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $180 – making East London the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇿🇦 East London

🕒 Local time

04:12 4:12 AM

11:12 11:12 AM

7 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

267,007

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.02 USD

100 ZAR = 5.38 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 November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 3,227 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,613 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 16.61 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.02 USD). 1 EUR = 18.59 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.38 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin East London 11,640 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
East London

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 East London: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,639 in Medellin, $992 in East London – East London comes out roughly 40% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,487 in East London. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in East London, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $290 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Medellin and $177 in East London. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 65% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in East London, where all-in costs run around $992, than in Medellin at $1,639. In East London it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

For expats, East London is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 40% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.