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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,031 per month in Medellin vs $1,149 in Johannesburg, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,599 per month in Medellin vs $1,813 in Johannesburg, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,167 per month in Medellin vs $2,476 in Johannesburg, rent included.

Medellin is about 10% cheaper than Johannesburg, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Medellin and Johannesburg are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 23% lower, Johannesburg 14% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$11.15 R 185

-44.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$45.18 R 748

-27.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$4.89 R 80.9

50.10%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,600

$2.17 R 35.85

-20.74%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$0.99 R 16.34

6.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$0.77 R 12.74

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,488

$2.68 R 44.29

-36.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$2.59 R 42.93

22.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$1.16 R 19.18

-9.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$1.09 R 18.05

19.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$1.65 R 27.32

-15.15%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,047

$2.45 R 40.59

-11.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$8.43 R 140

-47.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$4.77 R 78.9

23.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$6.56 R 109

31.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,426

$1.67 R 27.61

36.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,604

$1.51 R 25.08

-26.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,983

$1.49 R 24.65

2.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$1.61 R 26.61

-16.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$1.49 R 24.74

-24.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$1.39 R 23.05

-18.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$1.09 R 18.02

-22.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$0.94 R 15.57

-3.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,630

$3.16 R 52.3

-25.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$6.04 R 100

104.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$1.30 R 21.47

-7.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$1.68 R 27.74

48.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,728

$1.72 R 28.43

-51.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

$71.3 R 1,180

-43.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$1.10 R 18.28

29.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$0.96 R 15.95

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$4.09 R 67.6

87.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$1.28 R 21.21

-22.66%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$22.2K R 367.2K

-18.72%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$23.5K R 389.8K

13.09%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$118 R 1,946

-31.27%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$40.44 R 670

-75.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$42.11 R 697

-42.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.7K

$33.88 R 561

-25.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$13.59 R 225

40.91%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$7.07 R 117

-43.71%

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

$305 COP 993.5K

$204 R 3,377

49.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$4,903 R 81.2K

23.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$50.9 R 842

14.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$33.65 R 557

-4.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$92.4 R 1,529

9.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$79.3 R 1,312

35.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$414 R 6,851

15.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$365 R 6,047

2.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$907 R 15.0K

-6.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$694 R 11.5K

5.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$1,043 R 17.3K

208.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$761 R 12.6K

80.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

$1,734 R 28.7K

-64.42%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Johannesburg: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $477 in Medellin versus $414 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 181% 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 – $193 in Medellin vs $184 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 12% 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 $1,546 per month in Medellin and $1,724 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 $1,031 in Medellin and $1,149 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 $1,031, than in Johannesburg at $1,149. 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 $1,031 versus $1,149 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.