Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kabwe Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kabwe

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,034 per month in Medellin vs $645 in Kabwe, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,577 per month in Medellin vs $947 in Kabwe, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,120 per month in Medellin vs $1,248 in Kabwe, rent included.

Medellin costs about 60% more than Kabwe, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Medellin and Kabwe are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 23% lower, Kabwe 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$7.38 ZMW 140

-19.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$24.87 ZMW 472

31.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$3.63 ZMW 68.9

98.35%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$1.99 ZMW 37.81

-14.57%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$0.69 ZMW 13.05

59.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.36 ZMW 6.86

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$0.95 ZMW 17.97

75.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$1.74 ZMW 33.03

78.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$1.33 ZMW 25.31

-20.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$0.78 ZMW 14.82

60.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$1.58 ZMW 29.89

-12.03%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$1.01 ZMW 19.18

123.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$7.88 ZMW 150

-45.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$3.98 ZMW 75.6

46.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$4.48 ZMW 85.1

97.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$2.60 ZMW 49.41

-13.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$0.79 ZMW 14.97

36.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$2.69 ZMW 51.1

-43.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$1.16 ZMW 21.95

18.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$1.80 ZMW 34.14

-37.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$1.33 ZMW 25.27

-15.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$0.94 ZMW 17.85

-9.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$0.48 ZMW 9.04

89.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$2.51 ZMW 47.60

-7.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$8.08 ZMW 153

37.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$1.08 ZMW 20.56

10.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$1.58 ZMW 30.07

50.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$2.67 ZMW 50.8

-46.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$8.93 ZMW 170

-10.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$1.24 ZMW 23.45

-24.19%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$8,071 ZMW 153.2K

122.04%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$28.7K ZMW 544.4K

-6.59%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$90.2 ZMW 1,711

-6.89%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$53.0 ZMW 1,006

-81.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$123 ZMW 2,332

-80.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$4.16 ZMW 79.0

-5.77%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$176 ZMW 3,350

73.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$9,531 ZMW 180.9K

-37.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$18.97 ZMW 360

205.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$17.02 ZMW 323

86.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$86.3 ZMW 1,637

15.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$73.5 ZMW 1,395

45.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

-46.28%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Last update for Kabwe: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin versus $25.00 in Kabwe. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $190 vs $165 – making Kabwe 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 Kabwe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 60% more than Kabwe, 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 $1,550 per month in Medellin and $967 in Kabwe. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin and $25.00 in Kabwe. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 15% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Kabwe, where all-in costs run around $645, than in Medellin at $1,034. In Kabwe it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Kabwe costs $645 versus $1,034 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 Kabwe. 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.