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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,681 per month in Medellin vs $579 in Kabwe, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,445 per month in Medellin vs $932 in Kabwe, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,210 per month in Medellin vs $1,286 in Kabwe, rent included.

Medellin costs about 190% more than Kabwe, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Medellin sits 23% above the global median, while Kabwe is 58% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.4K

$5.75 ZMW 113

39.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 152.0K

$31.62 ZMW 620

51.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.4K

$5.07 ZMW 99.4

95.07%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,937

$2.90 ZMW 56.8

7.93%

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

$1.91 COP 6,058

$0.79 ZMW 15.56

141.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,794

$0.51 ZMW 9.91

196.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,917

$1.31 ZMW 25.63

138.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.3K

$2.38 ZMW 46.73

141.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,587

$1.74 ZMW 34.10

-17.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,894

$1.25 ZMW 24.59

99.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,631

$2.10 ZMW 41.11

-15.71%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,396

$1.20 ZMW 23.44

146.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 32.0K

$10.72 ZMW 210

-6.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 32.1K

$6.63 ZMW 130

52.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.4K

$6.55 ZMW 128

118.32%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.1K

$3.38 ZMW 66.3

22.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,106

$1.05 ZMW 20.65

53.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,129

$3.65 ZMW 71.5

-38.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,150

$1.62 ZMW 31.81

38.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,486

$2.70 ZMW 52.8

-24.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,873

$1.90 ZMW 37.31

-18.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,715

$1.14 ZMW 22.34

2.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,148

$0.82 ZMW 16.05

59.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.4K

$3.13 ZMW 61.4

24.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.5K

$10.18 ZMW 200

37.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,534

$1.45 ZMW 28.52

20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,112

$2.33 ZMW 45.76

23.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,858

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 255.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,155

$2.53 ZMW 49.52

-48.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,944

$1.52 ZMW 29.81

44.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.7K

$5.31 ZMW 104

64.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,334

$1.40 ZMW 27.42

-2.14%

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

$27.8K COP 88.4M

$7,757 ZMW 152.0K

258.84%

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

$35.8K COP 113.6M

$27.7K ZMW 542.3K

29.30%

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

$177 COP 562.9K

$82.0 ZMW 1,608

116.17%

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

$13.88 COP 44.1K

$10.60 ZMW 208

30.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 94.4K

$57.2 ZMW 1,121

-48.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 142.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.1K

$6.13 ZMW 120

8.48%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$140 ZMW 2,742

481.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.2M

$16.9K ZMW 330.7K

-45.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 284.1K

$23.73 ZMW 465

277.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 187.2K

$15.98 ZMW 313

269.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 438.8K

$45.64 ZMW 894

202.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 324.2K

$73.8 ZMW 1,446

38.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.4M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.3M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.2M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-62.28%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Kabwe: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $32.00 in Kabwe. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $305 vs $233 – 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 190% more than Kabwe, with the gap driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,521 per month in Medellin and $869 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 $48.00 in Medellin and $32.00 in Kabwe. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 31% 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 $579, than in Medellin at $1,681. 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 $579 versus $1,681 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.