Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Eldoret Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Eldoret

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,028 in Medellin versus $533 in Eldoret.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,586 in Medellin versus $927 in Eldoret.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,144 in Medellin versus $1,320 in Eldoret.

Living in Medellin is roughly 93% more expensive than Eldoret, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Eldoret 60% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.00 COP 20.6K

$5.49 KES 711

9.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.84 COP 112.5K

$38.81 KES 5,022

-15.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 COP 25.4K

$6.90 KES 893

7.54%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,659

$2.38 KES 308

-30.67%

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

$1.07 COP 3,663

$0.72 KES 92.9

48.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 COP 2,607

$0.53 KES 69.2

43.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,908

$2.29 KES 297

-24.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 COP 11.0K

$2.93 KES 380

9.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,597

$0.69 KES 89.8

52.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,479

$0.45 KES 58.2

191.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 COP 4,591

$1.19 KES 154

12.61%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,521

$1.59 KES 206

37.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.41 COP 15.1K

$3.97 KES 514

11.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.69 COP 19.5K

$3.66 KES 473

55.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.52 COP 29.2K

$4.16 KES 539

104.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,023

$3.12 KES 403

-25.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,804

$0.93 KES 120

19.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,210

$1.62 KES 209

-6.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,680

$1.06 KES 137

29.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 3,950

$0.52 KES 67.5

121.15%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 COP 4,043

$0.88 KES 114

34.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 COP 2,885

$0.68 KES 88.0

23.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 COP 2,931

$0.64 KES 82.2

34.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.26 COP 7,753

$3.14 KES 406

-28.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.60 COP 39.8K

$5.87 KES 760

97.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,109

$1.78 KES 230

-32.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 8,484

$1.59 KES 206

55.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,721

$1.37 KES 178

-42.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 139.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,023

$1.54 KES 199

-4.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,568

$1.57 KES 203

22.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.77 COP 26.6K

$2.86 KES 370

171.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,464

$1.54 KES 200

-34.42%

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

$17.7K COP 60.5M

$21.3K KES 2.8M

-17.02%

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

$26.5K COP 90.7M

$20.3K KES 2.6M

30.08%

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

$81.1 COP 277.9K

$34.97 KES 4,525

131.91%

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

$9.43 COP 32.3K

$16.86 KES 2,182

-44.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.86 COP 81.8K

$39.80 KES 5,150

-40.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.99 COP 89.1K

$38.34 KES 4,961

-32.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.71 COP 64.1K

Cinema Ticket

$4.09 COP 14.0K

$5.01 KES 648

-18.36%

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

$315 COP 1.1M

$64.2 KES 8,309

389.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,022 COP 20.6M

$7,886 KES 1.0M

-23.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 COP 204.6K

$11.47 KES 1,485

420.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.97 COP 109.6K

$24.12 KES 3,122

32.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 346.9K

$19.64 KES 2,542

415.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 COP 360.3K

$34.42 KES 4,454

205.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 COP 1.7M

$92.4 KES 12.0K

425.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 COP 1.3M

$90.0 KES 11.6K

305.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$827 COP 2.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.5M

$270 KES 35.0K

170.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,992 COP 10.3M

$618 KES 79.9K

384.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,314 COP 4.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$551 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

11.92%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 15, 2026

Last update for Eldoret: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $485 in Medellin and $92.4 in Eldoret. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $39.00 in Eldoret. Groceries flip the comparison at $190 vs $136, with Eldoret cheaper for home cooking.

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 Eldoret: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Eldoret wins on cost – living expenses run 93% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Eldoret the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,542 in Medellin and $800 in Eldoret to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $485 in Medellin versus $92.4 in Eldoret. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,028 per month in Medellin versus $533 in Eldoret – a 93% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $533 in Eldoret versus $1,028 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Eldoret but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Eldoret the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Eldoret delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $533 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Eldoret hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Eldoret gentler on the wallet – expenses run 93% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.