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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,681 per month in Medellin vs $605 in Kafue, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,445 per month in Medellin vs $953 in Kafue, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,210 per month in Medellin vs $1,302 in Kafue, rent included.

Medellin costs about 178% more than Kafue, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Medellin sits 23% above the global median, while Kafue is 56% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.4K

$5.73 ZMW 112

39.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 152.0K

$30.86 ZMW 605

55.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.4K

$5.16 ZMW 101

91.67%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,937

$2.85 ZMW 55.9

9.82%

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

$1.91 COP 6,058

$0.75 ZMW 14.63

154.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,794

$0.50 ZMW 9.81

202.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,917

$1.28 ZMW 25.08

143.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.3K

$2.30 ZMW 45.11

150.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,587

$1.83 ZMW 35.96

-21.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,894

$1.26 ZMW 24.71

97.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,631

$2.13 ZMW 41.74

-16.90%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,396

$1.97 ZMW 38.63

50.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 32.0K

$10.78 ZMW 211

-6.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 32.1K

$6.75 ZMW 132

49.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.4K

$6.72 ZMW 132

112.80%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.1K

$3.57 ZMW 69.9

15.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,106

$2.55 ZMW 50.0

-36.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,129

$3.79 ZMW 74.4

-40.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,150

$1.56 ZMW 30.63

44.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,486

$2.60 ZMW 51.0

-21.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,873

$1.94 ZMW 38.05

-20.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,715

$1.20 ZMW 23.59

-2.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,148

$0.81 ZMW 15.88

61.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.4K

$3.19 ZMW 62.5

22.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.5K

$10.60 ZMW 208

32.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,534

$1.52 ZMW 29.83

14.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,112

$2.34 ZMW 45.90

22.65%

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

$2.59 ZMW 50.8

-49.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,944

$1.62 ZMW 31.67

35.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.7K

$5.13 ZMW 100

69.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,334

$1.61 ZMW 31.55

-14.91%

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

$27.8K COP 88.4M

$7,734 ZMW 151.6K

259.90%

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

$35.8K COP 113.6M

$27.2K ZMW 532.7K

31.62%

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

$177 COP 562.9K

$82.0 ZMW 1,607

116.27%

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

$13.88 COP 44.1K

$10.99 ZMW 215

26.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 94.4K

$57.5 ZMW 1,127

-48.30%

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

$6.38 ZMW 125

4.23%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$146 ZMW 2,868

455.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.2M

$16.8K ZMW 328.3K

-45.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 284.1K

$23.80 ZMW 466

276.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 187.2K

$15.75 ZMW 309

274.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 438.8K

$46.80 ZMW 917

195.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 324.2K

$74.4 ZMW 1,458

37.31%

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 Kafue: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $31.00 in Kafue. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $305 vs $249 – 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: $1,681 in Medellin, $605 in Kafue – roughly 178% apart. Medellin costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,521 per month in Medellin and $907 in Kafue. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,681 in Medellin and $605 in Kafue. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $813 per month in Medellin and $146 in Kafue. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Kafue, where all-in costs run around $605, than in Medellin at $1,681. 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 $605 in Kafue to $1,681 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.