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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,003 per month in Medellin vs $652 in Kabwe, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,573 per month in Medellin vs $965 in Kabwe, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,143 per month in Medellin vs $1,278 in Kabwe, rent included.

Medellin costs about 54% more than Kabwe, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Medellin and Kabwe are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 25% lower, Kabwe 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.91 COP 18.6K

$7.24 ZMW 135

-18.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.96 COP 103.8K

$24.49 ZMW 457

34.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 COP 23.4K

$3.63 ZMW 67.6

104.68%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,207

$1.93 ZMW 36.06

-14.51%

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

$1.10 COP 3,468

$0.73 ZMW 13.66

50.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,458

$0.33 ZMW 6.22

136.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,412

$0.94 ZMW 17.58

82.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$1.76 ZMW 32.78

80.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 COP 3,474

$1.33 ZMW 24.89

-17.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 3,962

$0.78 ZMW 14.57

61.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,349

$1.60 ZMW 29.92

-13.75%

Eggs

$2.18 COP 6,858

$0.95 ZMW 17.71

129.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 COP 14.1K

$7.88 ZMW 147

-43.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.79 COP 18.2K

$3.99 ZMW 74.4

45.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 28.2K

$4.51 ZMW 84.1

98.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 COP 7,308

$2.52 ZMW 46.91

-7.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,352

$0.87 ZMW 16.16

21.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 4,774

$2.66 ZMW 49.68

-42.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,270

$1.15 ZMW 21.47

18.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,552

$1.87 ZMW 34.89

-39.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,689

$1.38 ZMW 25.72

-15.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,838

$0.92 ZMW 17.20

-2.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 2,823

$0.51 ZMW 9.52

76.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 COP 7,034

$2.52 ZMW 47.09

-11.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 COP 38.2K

$10.60 ZMW 198

14.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 3,743

$1.14 ZMW 21.27

4.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 7,815

$1.52 ZMW 28.41

63.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 COP 2,687

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 131.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,459

$2.80 ZMW 52.2

-49.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 COP 6,141

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 COP 24.8K

$9.09 ZMW 169

-13.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,118

$1.24 ZMW 23.14

-20.16%

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

$17.6K COP 55.4M

$8,130 ZMW 151.6K

116.51%

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

$26.8K COP 84.4M

$28.0K ZMW 522.4K

-4.32%

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

$83.0 COP 261.4K

$92.7 ZMW 1,730

-10.49%

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

$9.70 COP 30.5K

$52.5 ZMW 980

-81.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 COP 74.1K

$123 ZMW 2,297

-80.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.26 COP 79.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 COP 60.1K

Cinema Ticket

$3.95 COP 12.4K

$4.28 ZMW 79.9

-7.71%

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

$316 COP 994.2K

$174 ZMW 3,242

81.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,975 COP 18.8M

$9,643 ZMW 179.8K

-38.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 188.9K

$19.14 ZMW 357

213.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 100.2K

$17.04 ZMW 318

86.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 320.1K

$84.0 ZMW 1,567

20.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 338.3K

$74.2 ZMW 1,384

44.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 COP 1.5M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 COP 1.2M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 COP 2.7M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 COP 2.3M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,265 COP 10.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 COP 4.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Kabwe: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin versus $24.00 in Kabwe. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $193 vs $171 – 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 54% 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 $1,504 per month in Medellin and $977 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 $24.00 in Kabwe. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 13% 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 $652, than in Medellin at $1,003. 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 $652 versus $1,003 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.