Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Isiolo Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Isiolo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,555 in Medellin versus $539 in Isiolo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,314 in Medellin versus $876 in Isiolo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,072 in Medellin versus $1,214 in Isiolo.

Living in Medellin is roughly 189% more expensive than in Isiolo, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 15% above, Isiolo is 60% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.59 COP 24.3K

$4.73 KES 613

60.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.78 COP 143.4K

$34.12 KES 4,424

31.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.6K

$6.07 KES 787

52.22%

Cappuccino

$2.95 COP 9,441

$2.72 KES 352

8.46%

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

$1.80 COP 5,769

$0.59 KES 76.5

205.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 COP 4,322

$0.63 KES 81.8

114.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 COP 9,394

$2.35 KES 305

24.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.46 COP 17.5K

$2.62 KES 340

108.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 COP 4,590

$0.86 KES 112

66.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,662

$0.57 KES 74.2

319.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 COP 5,127

$1.93 KES 250

-17.10%

Eggs

$2.88 COP 9,217

$1.67 KES 216

72.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.71 COP 31.1K

$10.77 KES 1,396

-9.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.44 COP 30.2K

$6.47 KES 839

45.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.24 COP 42.4K

$6.40 KES 829

106.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.75 COP 12.0K

$3.18 KES 412

17.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 COP 4,629

$1.03 KES 134

40.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,722

$1.97 KES 256

6.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,821

$1.13 KES 147

88.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 COP 6,161

$1.10 KES 143

74.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,905

$1.03 KES 133

48.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 COP 3,493

$0.68 KES 87.9

60.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 COP 3,783

$0.74 KES 95.4

59.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.79 COP 12.1K

$3.52 KES 457

7.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.16 COP 42.2K

$11.42 KES 1,480

15.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 COP 5,254

$2.29 KES 297

-28.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 COP 7,294

$2.80 KES 363

-18.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,765

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.6 COP 235.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,091

$1.57 KES 203

-18.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 COP 6,333

$1.53 KES 198

29.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 COP 25.3K

$2.94 KES 381

168.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 COP 4,145

$1.43 KES 185

-9.79%

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

$26.8K COP 85.8M

$21.4K KES 2.8M

25.39%

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

$34.7K COP 111.1M

$20.1K KES 2.6M

73.00%

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

$158 COP 505.5K

$61.9 KES 8,020

155.15%

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

$13.39 COP 42.9K

$15.49 KES 2,008

-13.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.28 COP 87.4K

$35.16 KES 4,559

-22.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.15 COP 141.4K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.99 COP 51.2K

Cinema Ticket

$6.39 COP 20.5K

$7.93 KES 1,028

-19.42%

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

$777 COP 2.5M

$252 KES 32.6K

208.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,800 COP 28.2M

$11.8K KES 1.5M

-25.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.7 COP 265.0K

$28.60 KES 3,708

189.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 COP 179.8K

$28.49 KES 3,695

96.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 COP 419.0K

$68.9 KES 8,926

89.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.9 COP 307.2K

$59.3 KES 7,689

61.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 COP 3.2M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$627 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,826 COP 5.8M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$969 COP 3.1M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,907 COP 12.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,576 COP 5.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$620 COP 2.0M

$761 KES 98.6K

-18.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

14.71

-25.63%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 28, 2026

Last update for Isiolo: September 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Isiolo pays 23% 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 $34.00 in Isiolo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $285 vs $205 per month, with Isiolo 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 Isiolo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Isiolo wins on cost – living expenses run 189% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Isiolo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 23% lower in Isiolo. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% 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 $539 in Isiolo – a 189% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $539 in Isiolo versus $1,555 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Isiolo but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Isiolo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Isiolo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $539 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Isiolo hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Isiolo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 189% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.