Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Johannesburg Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Johannesburg

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,013 per month in Medellin vs $1,179 in Johannesburg, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,602 per month in Medellin vs $1,810 in Johannesburg, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,192 per month in Medellin vs $2,442 in Johannesburg, rent included.

Medellin is about 14% cheaper than Johannesburg, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Medellin and Johannesburg are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 24% lower, Johannesburg 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.3K

$11.02 R 180

-45.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 116.9K

$45.02 R 735

-27.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.2K

$4.91 R 80.1

44.40%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,093

$2.27 R 37.04

-24.67%

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

$1.10 COP 3,910

$0.99 R 16.13

11.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,771

$0.77 R 12.63

1.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,976

$2.63 R 42.97

-36.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 10.9K

$2.53 R 41.29

21.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,892

$1.19 R 19.34

-8.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,492

$1.06 R 17.22

18.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,905

$1.70 R 27.70

-18.82%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,799

$2.52 R 41.07

-13.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$8.36 R 136

-47.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.0K

$4.68 R 76.3

20.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.6K

$6.67 R 109

33.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,319

$1.68 R 27.36

39.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,764

$1.48 R 24.14

-28.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,355

$1.49 R 24.38

0.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,906

$1.59 R 25.88

-13.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,097

$1.43 R 23.28

-19.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,141

$1.46 R 23.84

-20.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,170

$1.06 R 17.28

-16.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,986

$0.88 R 14.32

-4.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,116

$3.03 R 49.51

-24.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 37.9K

$6.11 R 99.7

74.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,268

$1.36 R 22.12

-11.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,793

$1.67 R 27.24

47.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,045

$1.72 R 27.99

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.3K

$69.0 R 1,125

-39.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,245

$1.10 R 17.95

33.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 6,984

$0.95 R 15.43

106.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.5K

$4.07 R 66.4

90.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,397

$1.28 R 20.94

-25.78%

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

$18.1K COP 64.5M

$22.6K R 368.5K

-19.71%

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

$26.5K COP 94.2M

$24.4K R 397.6K

8.71%

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

$82.3 COP 292.7K

$119 R 1,937

-30.70%

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

$9.50 COP 33.8K

$39.96 R 652

-76.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.2K

$43.32 R 707

-44.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.1K

$33.66 R 549

-23.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.6K

$13.96 R 228

36.10%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$7.40 R 121

-46.89%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$206 R 3,368

49.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.2M

$4,959 R 80.9K

20.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 208.7K

$51.3 R 836

14.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.1K

$34.03 R 555

-4.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 365.1K

$91.9 R 1,500

11.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 385.8K

$78.8 R 1,286

37.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$419 R 6,845

13.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$372 R 6,063

1.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$918 R 15.0K

-8.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$718 R 11.7K

0.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

$1,063 R 17.3K

162.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$765 R 12.5K

58.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$1,714 R 28.0K

-70.13%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Johannesburg: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $476 in Medellin versus $419 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 235% higher in Johannesburg, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin versus $45.00 in Johannesburg. Groceries tell a different story – $188 in Medellin vs $183 in Johannesburg – so Johannesburg wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Johannesburg costs about 16% more than Medellin, with the gap driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,519 per month in Medellin and $1,768 in Johannesburg. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, 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 $33.00 in Medellin and $45.00 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 $1,013 in Medellin and $1,179 in Johannesburg. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,013, than in Johannesburg at $1,179. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Johannesburg it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Medellin costs $1,013 versus $1,179 in Johannesburg. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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