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: $1,687 in Medellin versus $503 in Eldoret.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,535 in Medellin versus $869 in Eldoret.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,383 in Medellin versus $1,234 in Eldoret.

Living in Medellin is roughly 235% more expensive than in Eldoret, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Eldoret is 63% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.89 COP 24.2K

$1.51 KES 195

422.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.53 COP 136.5K

$34.72 KES 4,493

28.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.29 COP 28.5K

$6.02 KES 779

54.32%

Cappuccino

$2.90 COP 8,874

$2.75 KES 355

5.45%

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

$1.81 COP 5,541

$0.30 KES 38.82

503.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 COP 4,741

$0.41 KES 52.9

278.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 COP 9,962

$2.39 KES 309

35.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 COP 18.0K

$2.69 KES 348

118.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 COP 4,230

$0.68 KES 87.5

102.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 COP 7,517

$0.50 KES 64.3

390.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,617

$1.55 KES 200

-2.58%

Eggs

$2.78 COP 8,516

$1.57 KES 203

77.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 COP 27.7K

$3.88 KES 502

133.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.65 COP 32.6K

$4.23 KES 548

151.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.63 COP 44.8K

$4.23 KES 548

245.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.2K

$2.37 KES 307

67.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,219

$1.00 KES 129

38.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,056

$0.67 KES 86.4

243.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.02 COP 6,185

$0.92 KES 119

119.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 COP 6,390

$0.55 KES 71.4

280.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 COP 4,996

$0.48 KES 61.6

239.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 COP 3,313

$0.70 KES 90.9

54.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,843

$0.66 KES 84.8

89.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.03 COP 12.4K

$3.57 KES 461

12.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 COP 41.3K

$5.97 KES 773

125.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 4,904

$2.04 KES 263

-21.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 COP 9,189

$1.51 KES 195

98.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,611

$1.35 KES 174

-12.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.9 COP 244.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 COP 4,920

$1.53 KES 197

5.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,533

$1.52 KES 197

40.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 COP 26.1K

$2.97 KES 384

186.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,142

$1.53 KES 198

-11.76%

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

$28.3K COP 86.8M

$18.8K KES 2.4M

50.63%

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

$35.7K COP 109.4M

$19.2K KES 2.5M

85.89%

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

$151 COP 463.8K

$39.96 KES 5,171

278.83%

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

$13.10 COP 40.1K

$15.34 KES 1,985

-14.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.30 COP 99.0K

$34.18 KES 4,423

-5.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.33 COP 141.9K

$39.07 KES 5,055

18.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.26 COP 52.9K

Cinema Ticket

$6.43 COP 19.7K

$5.13 KES 664

25.34%

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

$835 COP 2.6M

$63.1 KES 8,166

1222.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,887 COP 27.2M

$10.9K KES 1.4M

-18.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 COP 273.7K

$11.53 KES 1,492

674.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 COP 169.5K

$24.72 KES 3,199

123.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 418.5K

$19.65 KES 2,542

595.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 335.1K

$35.15 KES 4,549

211.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$952 COP 2.9M

$93.4 KES 12.1K

919.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$668 COP 2.0M

$87.8 KES 11.4K

660.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 COP 6.2M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 COP 3.5M

$276 KES 35.7K

316.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,696 COP 11.3M

$608 KES 78.7K

507.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,586 COP 4.9M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$625 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.43

14.71

-29.10%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 17, 2026

Last update for Eldoret: August 18, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $952 in Medellin and $93.4 in Eldoret. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45.00 in Medellin vs $35.00 in Eldoret for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $133 per month, with Eldoret cheaper across the board.

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 235% 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 $2,530 in Medellin and $755 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: $952 in Medellin versus $93.4 in Eldoret. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 123% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,687 per month in Medellin versus $503 in Eldoret – a 235% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $503 in Eldoret versus $1,687 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 $503 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 235% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.