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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,017 per month in Medellin vs $699 in Kafue, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,602 per month in Medellin vs $1,058 in Kafue, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,188 per month in Medellin vs $1,416 in Kafue, rent included.

Medellin costs about 45% more than Kafue, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Medellin and Kafue are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 24% lower, Kafue 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$7.05 ZMW 123

-15.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$25.10 ZMW 439

32.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$3.77 ZMW 65.8

91.78%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$1.97 ZMW 34.38

-17.26%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$0.68 ZMW 11.84

60.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.36 ZMW 6.37

102.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$0.95 ZMW 16.60

83.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$1.81 ZMW 31.64

78.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$1.27 ZMW 22.13

-17.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$0.80 ZMW 13.90

61.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$1.58 ZMW 27.65

-16.46%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$1.83 ZMW 31.93

24.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$7.69 ZMW 134

-43.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$3.97 ZMW 69.5

48.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$4.63 ZMW 80.9

85.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$2.57 ZMW 44.91

-12.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$1.63 ZMW 28.52

-34.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$2.70 ZMW 47.24

-43.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$1.13 ZMW 19.74

25.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$1.88 ZMW 32.87

-37.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$1.36 ZMW 23.82

-13.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$0.88 ZMW 15.37

1.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$0.49 ZMW 8.51

83.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$2.42 ZMW 42.24

-7.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$11.34 ZMW 198

-2.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$1.08 ZMW 18.89

5.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$1.52 ZMW 26.54

56.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$1.61 ZMW 28.22

-47.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

$46.10 ZMW 806

-9.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$2.81 ZMW 49.17

-49.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$9.37 ZMW 164

-17.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$1.20 ZMW 20.97

-15.83%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$8,105 ZMW 141.7K

116.90%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$28.4K ZMW 496.4K

-6.71%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$91.0 ZMW 1,590

-8.02%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$52.2 ZMW 912

-81.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$126 ZMW 2,210

-80.93%

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

$4.25 ZMW 74.2

-3.53%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$174 ZMW 3,035

79.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$9,402 ZMW 164.3K

-36.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$18.99 ZMW 332

205.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$17.28 ZMW 302

88.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$83.4 ZMW 1,457

19.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$73.6 ZMW 1,287

47.41%

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 Kafue: June 8, 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: $190 vs $179 – 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: $1,017 in Medellin, $699 in Kafue – roughly 45% apart. Medellin costs more across the board, with Monthly Utilities & Internet showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,525 per month in Medellin and $1,049 in Kafue. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Kindergarten costs $312 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 6% 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 $699, than in Medellin at $1,017. 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 $699 in Kafue to $1,017 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.