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: $1,681 in Medellin versus $497 in Kabul.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $688 in Kabul.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $879 in Kabul.

Living in Medellin is roughly 238% more expensive than in Kabul, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Kabul is 64% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$2.72 ؋175

194.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$7.80 ؋502

513.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$4.68 ؋301

111.32%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.37 ؋153

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ؋118

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$1.11 ؋71.6

181.98%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$0.46 ؋29.45

315.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.16 ؋10.33

843.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$0.81 ؋52.3

77.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$0.25 ؋16.09

896.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$1.84 ؋118

-3.80%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$1.52 ؋97.9

94.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$4.46 ؋287

125.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$4.08 ؋263

148.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$6.70 ؋431

113.43%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$0.67 ؋43.42

517.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$0.86 ؋55.1

87.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$0.88 ؋56.8

155.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$0.55 ؋35.30

309.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$0.60 ؋38.69

240.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$0.47 ؋30.56

227.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$0.28 ؋17.96

317.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.37 ؋23.65

254.05%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.88 ؋121

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 ؋48.87

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.04 ؋67.2

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$2.35 ؋151

65.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.16 ؋10.46

662.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$20.69 ؋1,331

288.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$2.02 ؋130

-35.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$0.45 ؋28.76

386.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$2.68 ؋172

225.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.04 ؋66.8

31.73%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$8,583 ؋552.2K

224.31%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$34.8K ؋2.2M

2.89%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$43.02 ؋2,768

312.13%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$12.87 ؋828

7.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$96.6 ؋6,213

-69.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$10.93 ؋703

310.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$4.02 ؋259

325.87%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$2.25 ؋145

195.56%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$20.40 ؋1,313

3884.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$1,036 ؋66.7K

786.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$10.77 ؋693

730.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$15.95 ؋1,027

269.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$58.7 ؋3,775

135.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$24.65 ؋1,586

314.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$122 ؋7,822

773.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$107 ؋6,861

521.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$218 ؋14.1K

764.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$116 ؋7,438

788.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$689 ؋44.3K

507.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$366 ؋23.5K

357.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$340 ؋21.9K

99.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Kabul: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $122 in Kabul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 100% 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: $48.00 in Medellin vs $8.00 in Kabul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $101 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 238% in total monthly costs ($1,681 vs $497 including rent). Kabul is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 100% higher in Medellin, 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $122 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 289% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $20.40 in Kabul. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $497 in Kabul versus $1,681 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 238% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.