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: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,061 in Jeffreys Bay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,654 in Jeffreys Bay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $2,247 in Jeffreys Bay.

Living in Medellin is roughly 58% more expensive than in Jeffreys Bay, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Jeffreys Bay is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$7.62 R 125

5.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$27.95 R 458

71.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$6.08 R 99.6

62.66%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$1.93 R 31.63

62.18%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$0.75 R 12.25

154.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.68 R 11.08

122.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$2.01 R 32.97

55.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$2.06 R 33.66

179.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.17 R 19.18

23.08%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$1.08 R 17.64

130.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$1.51 R 24.70

17.22%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$2.78 R 45.57

6.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$6.83 R 112

47.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$5.14 R 84.2

96.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$7.83 R 128

82.63%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$2.12 R 34.64

95.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.51 R 24.80

6.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$1.74 R 28.46

29.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$1.85 R 30.25

21.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$1.80 R 29.45

13.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$1.27 R 20.84

21.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$1.28 R 20.99

-8.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$1.02 R 16.71

28.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$3.27 R 53.6

19.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$3.87 R 63.5

262.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.31 R 21.43

32.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$1.81 R 29.68

58.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$1.54 R 25.24

-20.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$0.60 R 9.83

118.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$0.48 R 7.82

356.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$8.50 R 139

2.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.47 R 24.11

-6.80%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$21.9K R 358.2K

27.27%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$18.0K R 295.0K

98.64%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$129 R 2,113

37.41%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$36.46 R 597

-61.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$47.45 R 777

-37.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$32.92 R 539

36.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$6.10 R 99.9

180.66%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$3.19 R 52.3

108.46%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$145 R 2,380

459.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$6,266 R 102.6K

46.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$74.7 R 1,223

19.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$39.77 R 651

48.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$114 R 1,860

21.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$100 R 1,639

2.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$438 R 7,180

142.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$345 R 5,648

92.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$808 R 13.2K

133.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$723 R 11.8K

42.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$884 R 14.5K

373.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$693 R 11.4K

141.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

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 14, 2026

Last update for Jeffreys Bay: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $438 in Jeffreys Bay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $28.00 in Jeffreys Bay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $188 per month, with Jeffreys Bay 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 Jeffreys Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jeffreys Bay is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 58% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,521 in Medellin and $1,591 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $438 in Jeffreys Bay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 62% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,681 per month in Medellin versus $1,061 in Jeffreys Bay – a 58% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,061 in Jeffreys Bay versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Jeffreys Bay but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Jeffreys Bay the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Expats usually find Jeffreys Bay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.