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: $1,028 in Medellin versus $1,011 in Grahamstown.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,586 in Medellin versus $1,563 in Grahamstown.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,144 in Medellin versus $2,115 in Grahamstown.

Living in Medellin is roughly 2% more expensive than Grahamstown, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Grahamstown 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.00 COP 20.6K

$8.77 R 142

-31.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.84 COP 112.5K

$34.15 R 553

-3.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 COP 25.4K

$4.92 R 79.7

50.81%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,659

$2.10 R 33.97

-21.43%

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

$1.07 COP 3,663

$1.00 R 16.17

7.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 COP 2,607

$0.78 R 12.59

-2.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,908

$2.21 R 35.70

-22.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 COP 11.0K

$2.48 R 40.20

29.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,597

$1.16 R 18.76

-9.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,479

$1.04 R 16.84

25.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 COP 4,591

$1.57 R 25.44

-14.65%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,521

$2.42 R 39.25

-9.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.41 COP 15.1K

$7.79 R 126

-43.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.69 COP 19.5K

$4.54 R 73.5

25.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.52 COP 29.2K

$6.88 R 111

23.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,023

$1.67 R 27.10

40.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,804

$1.51 R 24.51

-26.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,210

$1.53 R 24.81

-0.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,680

$1.64 R 26.50

-16.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 3,950

$1.37 R 22.10

-16.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 COP 4,043

$1.23 R 19.89

-4.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 COP 2,885

$1.09 R 17.57

-22.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 COP 2,931

$0.96 R 15.47

-10.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.26 COP 7,753

$2.82 R 45.65

-19.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.60 COP 39.8K

$4.89 R 79.1

137.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,109

$1.33 R 21.49

-9.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 8,484

$1.72 R 27.89

44.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,721

$1.61 R 26.10

-50.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 139.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,023

$1.11 R 17.90

32.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,568

$0.90 R 14.65

113.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.77 COP 26.6K

$3.91 R 63.3

98.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,464

$1.24 R 20.13

-18.55%

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

$17.7K COP 60.5M

$21.1K R 341.1K

-16.20%

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

$26.5K COP 90.7M

$23.9K R 386.8K

10.70%

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

$81.1 COP 277.9K

$116 R 1,880

-30.19%

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

$9.43 COP 32.3K

$35.38 R 573

-73.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.86 COP 81.8K

$42.31 R 685

-43.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.99 COP 89.1K

$31.28 R 506

-16.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.71 COP 64.1K

Cinema Ticket

$4.09 COP 14.0K

$6.79 R 110

-39.76%

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

$315 COP 1.1M

$200 R 3,231

57.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,022 COP 20.6M

$4,321 R 69.9K

39.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 COP 204.6K

$50.2 R 813

18.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.97 COP 109.6K

$31.79 R 515

0.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 346.9K

$87.5 R 1,416

15.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 COP 360.3K

$78.6 R 1,272

33.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 COP 1.7M

$369 R 5,970

31.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 COP 1.3M

$339 R 5,486

7.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$827 COP 2.8M

$677 R 11.0K

22.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.5M

$683 R 11.1K

6.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,992 COP 10.3M

$832 R 13.5K

259.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,314 COP 4.5M

$691 R 11.2K

90.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$551 COP 1.9M

$1,224 R 19.8K

-55.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

11.51

16.68%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 15, 2026

Last update for Grahamstown: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $485 in Medellin and $369 in Grahamstown. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Grahamstown pays 122% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $34.00 in Grahamstown. Groceries flip the comparison at $190 vs $179, with Grahamstown 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 Grahamstown: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Grahamstown wins on cost – living expenses run 2% 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, Grahamstown earns 122% less. 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: $485 in Medellin versus $369 in Grahamstown. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% 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 $1,011 in Grahamstown – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,011 in Grahamstown versus $1,028 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 $1,011 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 2% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.