Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kabul Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kabul

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,013 in Medellin versus $416 in Kabul.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $602 in Kabul.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $787 in Kabul.

Living in Medellin is roughly 144% more expensive than Kabul, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Kabul 69% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$2.53 ؋161

136.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.4K

$10.74 ؋682

205.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$4.37 ؋278

62.24%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.24 ؋143

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 ؋107

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,115

$1.01 ؋64.0

69.31%

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

$1.10 COP 3,924

$0.36 ؋22.93

205.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,781

$0.13 ؋8.10

500.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,997

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,906

$0.71 ؋44.85

53.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,508

$0.21 ؋13.14

500.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,922

$1.70 ؋108

-18.82%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,827

$1.42 ؋90.0

54.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$3.84 ؋244

14.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$3.35 ؋213

68.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.8K

$6.00 ؋381

48.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,349

$0.53 ؋33.75

341.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,777

$0.80 ؋50.8

32.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,374

$0.75 ؋47.84

100.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,924

$0.46 ؋29.36

200.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,111

$0.48 ؋30.44

139.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,155

$0.43 ؋26.99

169.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,182

$0.23 ؋14.60

286.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,997

$0.33 ؋20.72

154.55%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.97 ؋125

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 ؋59.5

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 ؋93.9

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,145

$2.64 ؋168

-13.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.0K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,284

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,824

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,056

$0.21 ؋13.31

309.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.9K

$9.87 ؋627

319.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,264

$1.76 ؋112

-16.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,009

$0.55 ؋35.21

256.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$2.59 ؋164

198.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,409

$0.95 ؋60.1

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

$18.1K COP 64.7M

$7,763 ؋493.0K

133.55%

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

$26.5K COP 94.6M

$32.1K ؋2.0M

-17.60%

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

$82.3 COP 293.7K

$50.3 ؋3,196

63.45%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$13.77 ؋874

-31.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.5K

$91.6 ؋5,819

-73.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.4K

$9.06 ؋575

185.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.9K

$3.88 ؋247

389.69%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$2.21 ؋140

77.83%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$18.18 ؋1,155

1601.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$1,414 ؋89.8K

321.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.5K

$9.57 ؋608

512.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.5K

$17.44 ؋1,108

85.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 366.4K

$32.79 ؋2,082

212.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 387.2K

$28.41 ؋1,804

281.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$85.0 ؋5,398

460.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$58.5 ؋3,715

547.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$203 ؋12.9K

313.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$111 ؋7,037

553.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

$732 ؋46.5K

281.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$410 ؋26.1K

195.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$351 ؋22.3K

45.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

18.5

-27.41%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Kabul: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $85.0 in Kabul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 46% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $11.00 in Kabul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $88.0 per month, with Kabul cheaper across the board.

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 Kabul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Kabul differ by about 144% in total monthly costs ($1,013 vs $416 including rent). Kabul is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Medellin pays 46% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $476 in Medellin versus $85.0 in Kabul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kabul runs roughly 319% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $18.18 in Kabul. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $416 in Kabul versus $1,013 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kabul but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Kabul the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Kabul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 144% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.