Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Grahamstown Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Grahamstown

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,555 in Medellin versus $1,155 in Grahamstown.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,314 in Medellin versus $1,795 in Grahamstown.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,072 in Medellin versus $2,435 in Grahamstown.

Living in Medellin is roughly 35% more expensive than in Grahamstown, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 15% above, Grahamstown is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.59 COP 24.7K

$11.18 R 186

-32.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.78 COP 145.7K

$42.90 R 714

4.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 30.1K

$5.85 R 97.5

57.95%

Cappuccino

$2.95 COP 9,591

$2.11 R 35.08

39.81%

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

$1.80 COP 5,861

$1.05 R 17.46

71.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 COP 4,391

$0.78 R 13.04

73.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 COP 9,544

$2.72 R 45.36

7.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.46 COP 17.8K

$3.28 R 54.5

66.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 COP 4,663

$1.15 R 19.09

24.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,785

$1.07 R 17.80

123.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 COP 5,209

$1.49 R 24.75

7.38%

Eggs

$2.88 COP 9,364

$2.85 R 47.54

1.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.71 COP 31.6K

$8.90 R 148

9.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.44 COP 30.7K

$5.33 R 88.8

77.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.24 COP 43.1K

$8.94 R 149

48.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.75 COP 12.2K

$2.14 R 35.71

75.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 COP 4,703

$1.56 R 26.04

-7.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,829

$1.72 R 28.63

22.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,930

$1.85 R 30.73

15.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 COP 6,259

$1.71 R 28.54

12.28%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,984

$1.47 R 24.44

4.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 COP 3,549

$1.27 R 21.20

-14.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 COP 3,843

$1.03 R 17.16

14.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.79 COP 12.3K

$3.37 R 56.1

12.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.16 COP 42.8K

$5.06 R 84.2

160.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 COP 5,337

$1.23 R 20.52

33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 COP 7,410

$1.87 R 31.07

21.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,825

$1.57 R 26.13

-24.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.6 COP 239.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,157

$0.65 R 10.81

96.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 COP 6,434

$0.50 R 8.38

296.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 COP 25.7K

$8.44 R 140

-6.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 COP 4,211

$1.43 R 23.82

-9.79%

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

$26.8K COP 87.2M

$36.7K R 611.2K

-27.05%

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

$34.7K COP 112.9M

$33.9K R 564.7K

2.29%

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

$158 COP 513.6K

$124 R 2,069

27.00%

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

$13.39 COP 43.6K

$35.82 R 596

-62.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.28 COP 88.8K

$46.54 R 775

-41.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.15 COP 143.7K

$32.84 R 547

34.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.99 COP 52.0K

$11.50 R 191

39.04%

Cinema Ticket

$6.39 COP 20.8K

$10.63 R 177

-39.89%

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

$777 COP 2.5M

$184 R 3,065

321.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,800 COP 28.6M

$5,014 R 83.5K

75.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.7 COP 269.2K

$72.3 R 1,203

14.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 COP 182.6K

$38.82 R 646

44.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 COP 425.7K

$114 R 1,894

15.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.9 COP 312.1K

$96.9 R 1,614

-1.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 COP 3.3M

$399 R 6,651

151.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$627 COP 2.0M

$369 R 6,143

69.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,826 COP 5.9M

$764 R 12.7K

138.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$969 COP 3.2M

$766 R 12.8K

26.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,907 COP 12.7M

$864 R 14.4K

352.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,576 COP 5.1M

$644 R 10.7K

144.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$620 COP 2.0M

$1,235 R 20.6K

-49.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.94

-8.38%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 28, 2026

Last update for Grahamstown: September 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,006 in Medellin and $399 in Grahamstown. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Grahamstown pays 99% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Medellin vs $43.00 in Grahamstown for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $285 vs $201 per month, with Grahamstown 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 Grahamstown: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Grahamstown wins on cost – living expenses run 35% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Grahamstown the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 99% lower in Grahamstown. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,006 in Medellin versus $399 in Grahamstown. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,555 per month in Medellin versus $1,155 in Grahamstown – a 35% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,155 in Grahamstown versus $1,555 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Grahamstown but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Grahamstown the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Grahamstown delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,155 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Grahamstown hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Grahamstown 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 Grahamstown gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.