Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kafue Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kafue

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,003 per month in Medellin vs $708 in Kafue, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,573 per month in Medellin vs $1,061 in Kafue, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,143 per month in Medellin vs $1,414 in Kafue, rent included.

Medellin costs about 42% more than Kafue, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Medellin and Kafue are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 25% lower, Kafue 47% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.91 COP 18.6K

$7.33 ZMW 137

-19.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.96 COP 103.8K

$25.17 ZMW 469

30.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 COP 23.4K

$3.63 ZMW 67.7

104.68%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,207

$1.92 ZMW 35.83

-14.06%

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

$1.10 COP 3,468

$0.67 ZMW 12.53

64.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,458

$0.33 ZMW 6.23

136.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,412

$0.87 ZMW 16.22

97.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$1.81 ZMW 33.84

75.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 COP 3,474

$1.33 ZMW 24.90

-17.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 3,962

$0.75 ZMW 14.04

68.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,349

$1.60 ZMW 29.83

-13.75%

Eggs

$2.18 COP 6,858

$1.85 ZMW 34.45

17.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 COP 14.1K

$7.62 ZMW 142

-41.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.79 COP 18.2K

$3.80 ZMW 70.8

52.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 28.2K

$4.65 ZMW 86.7

92.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 COP 7,308

$2.48 ZMW 46.19

-6.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,352

$1.65 ZMW 30.82

-35.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 4,774

$2.75 ZMW 51.3

-44.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,270

$1.15 ZMW 21.54

18.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,552

$1.87 ZMW 34.88

-39.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,689

$1.33 ZMW 24.71

-12.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,838

$0.92 ZMW 17.18

-2.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 2,823

$0.52 ZMW 9.62

73.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 COP 7,034

$2.54 ZMW 47.40

-12.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 COP 38.2K

$10.77 ZMW 201

12.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 3,743

$1.12 ZMW 20.96

6.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 7,815

$1.51 ZMW 28.24

64.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 COP 2,687

$1.64 ZMW 30.61

-48.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 131.0K

$46.63 ZMW 870

-10.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,459

$2.69 ZMW 50.1

-47.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 COP 6,141

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 COP 24.8K

$9.29 ZMW 173

-15.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,118

$1.20 ZMW 22.33

-17.50%

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

$17.6K COP 55.4M

$7,897 ZMW 147.3K

122.88%

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

$26.8K COP 84.4M

$28.4K ZMW 528.8K

-5.49%

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

$83.0 COP 261.4K

$90.2 ZMW 1,681

-7.92%

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

$9.70 COP 30.5K

$52.3 ZMW 976

-81.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 COP 74.1K

$125 ZMW 2,336

-81.22%

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

$4.23 ZMW 78.9

-6.62%

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

$316 COP 994.2K

$174 ZMW 3,245

81.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,975 COP 18.8M

$9,500 ZMW 177.2K

-37.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 188.9K

$18.76 ZMW 350

219.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 100.2K

$17.29 ZMW 323

84.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 320.1K

$83.3 ZMW 1,554

22.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 338.3K

$72.1 ZMW 1,344

49.07%

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 Kafue: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin versus $25.00 in Kafue. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $193 vs $178 – making Kafue 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 Kafue: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,003 in Medellin, $708 in Kafue – roughly 42% apart. Medellin costs more across the board, with Monthly Utilities & Internet showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,504 per month in Medellin and $1,061 in Kafue. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Kindergarten costs $316 per month in Medellin and $174 in Kafue. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 9% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kafue, where all-in costs run around $708, than in Medellin at $1,003. In Kafue it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $708 in Kafue to $1,003 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Kafue. 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.