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: $1,034 in Medellin versus $1,009 in Jeffreys Bay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,577 in Medellin versus $1,542 in Jeffreys Bay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,120 in Medellin versus $2,076 in Jeffreys Bay.

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

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Jeffreys Bay 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$5.70 R 95.6

3.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$34.05 R 571

-3.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$5.58 R 93.5

29.03%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$1.76 R 29.45

-3.41%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$0.73 R 12.18

50.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.98 R 16.47

-26.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$1.79 R 30.06

-6.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$1.77 R 29.66

75.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$1.03 R 17.30

2.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$1.00 R 16.81

25.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$1.63 R 27.39

-14.72%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$2.58 R 43.35

-12.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$6.19 R 104

-30.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$4.57 R 76.6

27.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$6.94 R 116

27.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$1.86 R 31.14

20.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$1.47 R 24.62

-26.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$1.50 R 25.10

2.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$1.57 R 26.34

-12.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$1.36 R 22.74

-16.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$1.18 R 19.85

-5.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$1.10 R 18.43

-22.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$1.08 R 18.15

-15.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$2.84 R 47.71

-17.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$3.85 R 64.6

189.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$1.43 R 23.97

-16.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$1.79 R 30.08

32.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$1.69 R 28.38

-53.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$1.14 R 19.13

26.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$0.90 R 15.14

112.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$3.97 R 66.6

102.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$1.22 R 20.51

-22.95%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$21.4K R 358.5K

-16.16%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$23.8K R 398.8K

12.67%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$137 R 2,302

-38.84%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$55.2 R 925

-82.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$59.6 R 999

-59.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$30.50 R 512

-15.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

$5.76 R 96.5

230.56%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$6.62 R 111

-40.79%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$127 R 2,132

140.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$4,355 R 73.0K

35.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$49.78 R 835

16.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$32.24 R 541

-1.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$90.3 R 1,515

10.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$79.4 R 1,332

34.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$361 R 6,053

34.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$331 R 5,550

11.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$694 R 11.6K

18.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$585 R 9,816

22.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$869 R 14.6K

236.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

$601 R 10.1K

133.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Jeffreys Bay: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Medellin and $361 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

Jeffreys Bay is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around. The 2% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,550 in Medellin and $1,514 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: $487 in Medellin versus $361 in Jeffreys Bay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,034 per month in Medellin versus $1,009 in Jeffreys Bay – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,009 in Jeffreys Bay versus $1,034 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 2% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.