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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,716 per month in Medellin vs $1,435 in Johannesburg, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,527 per month in Medellin vs $2,252 in Johannesburg, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,338 per month in Medellin vs $3,069 in Johannesburg, rent included.

Medellin costs about 20% more than Johannesburg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Medellin and Johannesburg sit above the global median – Medellin by 25%, Johannesburg by 4%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.1K

$12.61 R 201

-36.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 150.8K

$46.05 R 735

4.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.5K

$7.51 R 120

30.09%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,095

$2.49 R 39.71

16.87%

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

$1.94 COP 6,074

$1.26 R 20.18

53.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,754

$0.94 R 15.03

61.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,663

$2.07 R 33.02

49.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 17.9K

$2.77 R 44.13

107.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,262

$1.36 R 21.73

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,460

$1.29 R 20.52

85.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,314

$1.83 R 29.19

-7.10%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 8,967

$2.68 R 42.75

7.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.1K

$9.34 R 149

6.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.7K

$6.00 R 95.7

79.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.0K

$9.15 R 146

60.98%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$2.25 R 35.88

81.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,911

$1.95 R 31.16

-19.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,642

$1.82 R 29.02

17.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,917

$2.13 R 33.99

3.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,396

$1.79 R 28.58

14.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,700

$1.87 R 29.87

-19.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,718

$1.51 R 24.08

-21.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,619

$1.34 R 21.39

-13.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$3.40 R 54.3

14.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.1K

$6.05 R 96.6

138.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,948

$1.86 R 29.68

-15.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,836

$2.45 R 39.04

15.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,650

$2.13 R 33.99

-45.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 242.9K

$93.9 R 1,497

-17.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,014

$0.90 R 14.39

42.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,537

$0.94 R 15.06

122.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 26.9K

$15.16 R 242

-43.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,056

$1.54 R 24.49

-15.58%

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

$27.7K COP 86.4M

$36.4K R 580.1K

-23.95%

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

$35.5K COP 110.9M

$32.9K R 524.2K

8.05%

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

$176 COP 550.1K

$222 R 3,543

-20.72%

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

$13.37 COP 41.8K

$38.73 R 618

-65.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 93.4K

$39.69 R 633

-24.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 139.8K

$38.29 R 611

16.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.3K

$17.46 R 279

-2.29%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.4K

$7.99 R 127

-22.40%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$248 R 3,953

220.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.2M

$5,745 R 91.6K

56.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 267.5K

$59.9 R 955

42.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 182.7K

$48.00 R 766

21.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 425.9K

$109 R 1,744

24.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 322.2K

$110 R 1,756

-6.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$546 R 8,709

94.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$443 R 7,062

53.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$1,107 R 17.7K

81.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$939 R 15.0K

24.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.8M

$1,020 R 16.3K

303.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$773 R 12.3K

120.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

$1,787 R 28.5K

-62.78%

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: August 30, 2026

Last update for Johannesburg: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,060 in Medellin versus $546 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 169% 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $46.00 in Johannesburg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $303 vs $228 – making Johannesburg the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 20% more than Johannesburg, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,574 per month in Medellin and $2,152 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 $48.00 in Medellin and $46.00 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 $1,716 in Medellin and $1,435 in Johannesburg. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Johannesburg, where all-in costs run around $1,435, than in Medellin at $1,716. 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 $1,435 versus $1,716 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.