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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,017 per month in Medellin vs $632 in Kabwe, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,602 per month in Medellin vs $948 in Kabwe, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,188 per month in Medellin vs $1,264 in Kabwe, rent included.

Medellin costs about 61% more than Kabwe, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Medellin and Kabwe are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 24% lower, Kabwe 53% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$7.30 ZMW 128

-18.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$25.29 ZMW 442

31.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$3.68 ZMW 64.3

96.47%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$2.03 ZMW 35.54

-19.70%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$0.73 ZMW 12.74

49.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.36 ZMW 6.35

102.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$0.94 ZMW 16.51

85.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$1.81 ZMW 31.65

78.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$1.27 ZMW 22.17

-17.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$0.75 ZMW 13.12

72.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$1.67 ZMW 29.11

-20.96%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$0.97 ZMW 16.92

134.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$7.85 ZMW 137

-44.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$3.80 ZMW 66.5

54.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$4.55 ZMW 79.6

89.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$2.48 ZMW 43.32

-9.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$0.87 ZMW 15.14

22.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$2.79 ZMW 48.73

-45.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$1.16 ZMW 20.28

22.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$1.80 ZMW 31.40

-35.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$1.31 ZMW 22.93

-10.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$0.92 ZMW 16.11

-3.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$0.52 ZMW 9.11

73.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$2.42 ZMW 42.26

-7.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$11.19 ZMW 196

-1.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$1.10 ZMW 19.21

3.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$1.52 ZMW 26.65

56.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$2.77 ZMW 48.37

-49.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$8.94 ZMW 156

-13.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$1.24 ZMW 21.68

-18.55%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$8,110 ZMW 141.8K

116.77%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$28.9K ZMW 504.9K

-8.27%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$92.3 ZMW 1,614

-9.37%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$52.0 ZMW 909

-81.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$126 ZMW 2,194

-80.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$4.09 ZMW 71.6

0.24%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$180 ZMW 3,150

73.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$9,441 ZMW 165.0K

-36.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$19.14 ZMW 334

203.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$16.66 ZMW 291

95.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$84.9 ZMW 1,484

17.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$71.7 ZMW 1,253

51.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Kabwe: June 7, 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 $170 – 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 61% 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 $1,525 per month in Medellin and $948 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 11% 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 $632, than in Medellin at $1,017. 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 $632 versus $1,017 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.