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: $1,017 in Medellin versus $495 in Isiolo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $814 in Isiolo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,188 in Medellin versus $1,134 in Isiolo.

Living in Medellin is roughly 106% more expensive than Isiolo, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Isiolo 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$5.57 KES 722

6.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$29.83 KES 3,867

11.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$3.88 KES 503

86.34%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$2.44 KES 316

-33.20%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$0.26 KES 33.49

319.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.24 KES 31.28

204.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$2.26 KES 293

-23.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$2.86 KES 371

12.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$0.82 KES 107

28.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$0.41 KES 53.2

214.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$1.59 KES 206

-16.98%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$1.43 KES 185

58.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$11.48 KES 1,489

-62.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$6.80 KES 881

-13.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$5.54 KES 718

55.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$3.14 KES 407

-28.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$1.07 KES 139

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$2.13 KES 277

-28.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$1.02 KES 132

39.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$1.03 KES 133

13.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$1.17 KES 152

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$0.69 KES 89.9

28.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$0.75 KES 97.6

20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$3.06 KES 397

-26.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$11.39 KES 1,477

-3.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$2.21 KES 287

-48.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$2.83 KES 366

-15.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$1.52 KES 197

-7.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$1.58 KES 205

20.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$2.86 KES 371

170.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$1.45 KES 188

-30.34%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$21.6K KES 2.8M

-18.65%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$20.3K KES 2.6M

30.51%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$34.71 KES 4,500

141.08%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$16.86 KES 2,186

-43.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$38.74 KES 5,023

-37.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$6.03 KES 781

-32.01%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$202 KES 26.2K

54.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$8,080 KES 1.0M

-25.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$18.30 KES 2,372

217.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$23.77 KES 3,082

36.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$65.5 KES 8,491

52.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$57.5 KES 7,458

88.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

$776 KES 100.6K

-30.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

14.84

-9.50%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Last update for Isiolo: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Isiolo pays 44% 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 $30.00 in Isiolo. Groceries flip the comparison at $190 vs $202, with Medellin 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 Isiolo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Isiolo wins on cost – living expenses run 106% 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, Isiolo earns 44% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 6% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,017 per month in Medellin versus $495 in Isiolo – a 106% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $495 in Isiolo versus $1,017 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 $495 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 106% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.