Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Jeffreys Bay Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Jeffreys Bay

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,028 in Medellin versus $1,045 in Jeffreys Bay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,586 in Medellin versus $1,547 in Jeffreys Bay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,144 in Medellin versus $2,049 in Jeffreys Bay.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 2% less than in Jeffreys Bay, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Jeffreys Bay 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.00 COP 20.6K

$5.56 R 90.1

7.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.84 COP 112.5K

$34.27 R 555

-4.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 COP 25.4K

$5.36 R 86.7

38.43%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,659

$1.78 R 28.83

-7.30%

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

$1.07 COP 3,663

$0.69 R 11.09

55.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 COP 2,607

$0.96 R 15.54

-20.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,908

$1.80 R 29.18

-4.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 COP 11.0K

$1.86 R 30.05

72.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,597

$1.07 R 17.39

-1.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,479

$0.99 R 16.06

32.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 COP 4,591

$1.71 R 27.74

-21.64%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,521

$2.74 R 44.27

-20.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.41 COP 15.1K

$5.84 R 94.6

-24.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.69 COP 19.5K

$4.69 R 75.9

21.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.52 COP 29.2K

$6.82 R 110

24.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,023

$1.89 R 30.53

23.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,804

$1.46 R 23.64

-23.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,210

$1.55 R 25.03

-1.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,680

$1.65 R 26.72

-16.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 3,950

$1.36 R 22.03

-15.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 COP 4,043

$1.19 R 19.27

-0.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 COP 2,885

$1.08 R 17.53

-22.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 COP 2,931

$1.04 R 16.81

-17.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.26 COP 7,753

$2.75 R 44.46

-17.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.60 COP 39.8K

$3.97 R 64.3

192.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,109

$1.42 R 22.94

-15.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 8,484

$1.77 R 28.58

40.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,721

$1.61 R 26.03

-50.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 139.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,023

$1.15 R 18.66

27.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,568

$0.88 R 14.21

118.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.77 COP 26.6K

$3.92 R 63.4

98.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,464

$1.25 R 20.21

-19.20%

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

$17.7K COP 60.5M

$21.6K R 349.0K

-18.10%

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

$26.5K COP 90.7M

$24.0K R 388.2K

10.32%

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

$81.1 COP 277.9K

$140 R 2,259

-41.89%

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

$9.43 COP 32.3K

$55.2 R 893

-82.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.86 COP 81.8K

$59.5 R 964

-59.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.99 COP 89.1K

$31.45 R 509

-17.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.71 COP 64.1K

$5.44 R 88.0

243.93%

Cinema Ticket

$4.09 COP 14.0K

$6.59 R 107

-37.94%

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

$315 COP 1.1M

$129 R 2,094

143.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,022 COP 20.6M

$4,424 R 71.6K

36.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 COP 204.6K

$50.4 R 816

18.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.97 COP 109.6K

$31.83 R 515

0.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 346.9K

$87.0 R 1,408

16.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 COP 360.3K

$81.2 R 1,314

29.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 COP 1.7M

$364 R 5,886

33.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 COP 1.3M

$320 R 5,186

13.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$827 COP 2.8M

$699 R 11.3K

18.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.5M

$588 R 9,516

24.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,992 COP 10.3M

$822 R 13.3K

264.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,314 COP 4.5M

$725 R 11.7K

81.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$551 COP 1.9M

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 Jeffreys Bay: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $485 in Medellin and $364 in Jeffreys Bay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $34.00 in Jeffreys Bay. Groceries flip the comparison at $190 vs $174, with Jeffreys Bay 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 Jeffreys Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,542 in Medellin and $1,568 in Jeffreys Bay to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $485 in Medellin versus $364 in Jeffreys Bay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Jeffreys Bay pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,028 per month in Medellin versus $1,045 in Jeffreys Bay – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,028 in Medellin versus $1,045 in Jeffreys Bay, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Jeffreys Bay. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Jeffreys Bay. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.