Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Johannesburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Johannesburg: $1,406 a month against $1,589 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
69

Cost of Living Index in Johannesburg
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Johannesburg Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,589

/mo nomad

Johannesburg

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,406

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Johannesburg

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Johannesburg actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,589 per month in Medellin vs $1,406 in Johannesburg, rent included.

Medellin $1,589
Johannesburg $1,406

A couple spends around $2,364 per month in Medellin vs $2,192 in Johannesburg, rent included.

Medellin $2,364
Johannesburg $2,192

A family of three spends $3,139 per month in Medellin vs $2,978 in Johannesburg, rent included.

Medellin $3,139
Johannesburg $2,978

Medellin costs about 13% more than Johannesburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Medellin and Johannesburg sit above the global median – Medellin by 19%, Johannesburg by 5%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.01 COP 25.5K

$11.96 R 197

-33.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 COP 148.3K

$44.08 R 727

5.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 COP 30.1K

$7.41 R 122

27.26%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,277

$2.47 R 40.67

17.81%

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

$1.75 COP 5,585

$1.17 R 19.36

49.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 COP 4,218

$0.87 R 14.41

51.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 COP 9,969

$2.26 R 37.31

38.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 COP 17.7K

$2.78 R 45.86

99.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 COP 4,495

$1.34 R 22.12

5.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 COP 7,777

$1.24 R 20.41

96.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,191

$1.78 R 29.33

-8.43%

Eggs

$2.82 COP 8,990

$2.64 R 43.59

6.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 COP 30.9K

$8.42 R 139

15.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 COP 29.7K

$5.36 R 88.4

73.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.46 COP 42.9K

$8.43 R 139

59.67%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 COP 12.8K

$2.05 R 33.76

95.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,719

$1.80 R 29.65

-17.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 COP 6,768

$1.84 R 30.32

15.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,178

$2.03 R 33.47

10.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 COP 6,092

$1.71 R 28.23

11.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 COP 5,160

$1.83 R 30.16

-11.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,658

$1.41 R 23.34

-18.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 COP 4,021

$1.32 R 21.82

-4.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 COP 12.2K

$3.38 R 55.8

13.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.11 COP 41.8K

$5.99 R 98.8

118.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 5,083

$1.84 R 30.31

-13.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,188

$2.44 R 40.28

-7.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,731

$2.05 R 33.85

-42.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.0 COP 239.0K

$89.5 R 1,477

-16.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,056

$0.82 R 13.58

54.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,531

$0.93 R 15.41

120.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.20 COP 26.1K

$14.67 R 242

-44.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 COP 4,046

$1.50 R 24.77

-15.33%

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

$26.8K COP 85.3M

$36.0K R 594.6K

-25.70%

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

$34.4K COP 109.6M

$32.7K R 539.8K

5.16%

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

$162 COP 516.9K

$227 R 3,751

-28.65%

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

$13.12 COP 41.8K

$37.98 R 627

-65.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.09 COP 89.5K

$36.49 R 602

-23.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.33 COP 141.2K

$36.84 R 608

20.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 COP 52.0K

$17.39 R 287

-6.10%

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 COP 19.4K

$7.84 R 129

-22.32%

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

$764 COP 2.4M

$238 R 3,931

220.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,904 COP 28.4M

$5,563 R 91.8K

60.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.0 COP 270.8K

$58.6 R 967

44.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 COP 183.2K

$46.52 R 768

23.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 COP 419.8K

$109 R 1,796

21.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 COP 305.1K

$105 R 1,738

-9.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$496 R 8,177

107.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 COP 1.9M

$422 R 6,958

43.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,802 COP 5.7M

$979 R 16.1K

84.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$993 COP 3.2M

$892 R 14.7K

11.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,921 COP 12.5M

$964 R 15.9K

306.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,639 COP 5.2M

$757 R 12.5K

116.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 COP 2.0M

$1,755 R 29.0K

-64.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

10.91

0.27%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Last update for Johannesburg: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$604 38.3%

Johannesburg

$422 29.9% 30.2% $183

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$288 18.3%

Johannesburg

$216 15.3% 25.2% $73

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$203 12.9%

Johannesburg

$302 21.4% 48.4% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Johannesburg

$144 10.2% 13.7% $23

Eating Out

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Johannesburg

$173 12.2% 3.7% $6.2

Getting Around

Medellin

$91 5.8%

Johannesburg

$103 7.3% 13.1% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.6%

Johannesburg

$53 3.7% 7% $4

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $496 in Johannesburg. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 180% higher in Johannesburg, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin versus $44.00 in Johannesburg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $216 – making Johannesburg the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇿🇦 Johannesburg

🕒 Local time

21:48 9:48 PM

04:48 4:48 AM

7 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

4,434,827

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.06 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,187 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,574 COP (10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 16.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.06 USD). 1 EUR = 18.5 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Between locations

Medellin Johannesburg 11,670 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Johannesburg

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Johannesburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 13% more than Johannesburg, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,384 per month in Medellin and $2,109 in Johannesburg. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Johannesburg, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin and $44.00 in Johannesburg. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,589 in Medellin and $1,406 in Johannesburg. That's a gap of about 13%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Johannesburg, where all-in costs run around $1,406, than in Medellin at $1,589. In Johannesburg it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Johannesburg costs $1,406 versus $1,589 in Medellin. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Johannesburg. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.