Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Gaborone Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Gaborone

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,003 in Medellin versus $826 in Gaborone.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,573 in Medellin versus $1,328 in Gaborone.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $1,830 in Gaborone.

Living in Medellin is roughly 21% more expensive than in Gaborone, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 25% lower, Gaborone 38% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.91 COP 18.6K

$7.27 P 96.3

-18.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.96 COP 103.8K

$29.63 P 392

11.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 COP 23.4K

$6.03 P 79.8

23.22%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,207

$2.20 P 29.08

-25.00%

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

$1.10 COP 3,468

$0.84 P 11.10

30.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,458

$0.51 P 6.69

52.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,412

$2.25 P 29.81

-23.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$2.93 P 38.82

8.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 COP 3,474

$1.42 P 18.78

-22.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 3,962

$0.88 P 11.62

43.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,349

$1.78 P 23.52

-22.47%

Eggs

$2.18 COP 6,858

$2.36 P 31.30

-7.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 COP 14.1K

$7.34 P 97.2

-38.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.79 COP 18.2K

$5.03 P 66.7

15.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 28.2K

$5.60 P 74.2

60.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 COP 7,308

$1.82 P 24.15

27.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,352

$1.44 P 19.04

-26.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 4,774

$1.92 P 25.43

-20.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,270

$1.61 P 21.35

-15.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,552

$1.46 P 19.32

-22.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,689

$1.21 P 15.96

-3.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,838

$1.14 P 15.14

-21.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 2,823

$0.91 P 12.04

-1.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 COP 7,034

$3.60 P 47.62

-38.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 COP 38.2K

$4.10 P 54.3

195.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 3,743

$1.65 P 21.88

-27.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 7,815

$2.18 P 28.89

13.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 COP 2,687

$0.50 P 6.56

70.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 131.0K

$30.13 P 399

38.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,459

$0.57 P 7.55

149.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 COP 6,141

$2.68 P 35.52

-27.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 COP 24.8K

$3.03 P 40.08

160.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,118

$1.14 P 15.09

-13.16%

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

$17.6K COP 55.4M

$22.7K P 301.1K

-22.60%

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

$26.8K COP 84.4M

$17.1K P 226.2K

56.87%

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

$83.0 COP 261.4K

$70.5 P 934

17.69%

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

$9.70 COP 30.5K

$26.17 P 346

-62.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 COP 74.1K

$78.6 P 1,041

-70.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.26 COP 79.5K

$32.61 P 432

-22.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 COP 60.1K

$14.67 P 194

30.20%

Cinema Ticket

$3.95 COP 12.4K

$6.80 P 90.1

-41.91%

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

$316 COP 994.2K

$181 P 2,400

74.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,975 COP 18.8M

$3,912 P 51.8K

52.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 188.9K

$42.18 P 558

42.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 100.2K

$24.24 P 321

31.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 320.1K

$75.1 P 994

35.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 338.3K

$97.5 P 1,291

10.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 COP 1.5M

$245 P 3,244

93.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 COP 1.2M

$143 P 1,893

161.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 COP 2.7M

$536 P 7,101

58.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 COP 2.3M

$339 P 4,492

112.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,265 COP 10.3M

$2,021 P 26.8K

61.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 COP 4.5M

$1,273 P 16.9K

13.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 COP 2.0M

$442 P 5,848

41.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

9.12

47.26%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Last update for Gaborone: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $475 in Medellin and $245 in Gaborone. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 41% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $30.00 in Gaborone for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $180 per month, with Gaborone 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 Gaborone: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gaborone is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 41% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $475 in Medellin versus $245 in Gaborone. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Gaborone – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $826 in Gaborone versus $1,003 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Gaborone but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Gaborone the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Gaborone is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Gaborone are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Gaborone gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.