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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,034 per month in Medellin vs $702 in Kafue, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,577 per month in Medellin vs $1,039 in Kafue, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,120 per month in Medellin vs $1,375 in Kafue, rent included.

Medellin costs about 47% more than Kafue, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Medellin and Kafue are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 23% lower, Kafue 48% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$7.05 ZMW 134

-16.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$25.14 ZMW 477

30.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$3.64 ZMW 69.2

97.80%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$1.92 ZMW 36.51

-11.46%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$0.69 ZMW 13.00

59.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.36 ZMW 6.84

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$0.95 ZMW 18.02

75.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$1.80 ZMW 34.23

72.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$1.34 ZMW 25.38

-20.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$0.75 ZMW 14.22

66.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$1.59 ZMW 30.20

-12.58%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$1.83 ZMW 34.71

23.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$7.67 ZMW 146

-43.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$3.96 ZMW 75.2

47.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$4.67 ZMW 88.6

89.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$2.60 ZMW 49.38

-13.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$1.61 ZMW 30.51

-32.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$2.71 ZMW 51.4

-43.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$1.11 ZMW 21.11

23.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$1.81 ZMW 34.37

-37.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$1.37 ZMW 26.00

-18.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$0.87 ZMW 16.45

-2.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$0.51 ZMW 9.68

78.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$2.43 ZMW 46.15

-4.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$7.85 ZMW 149

41.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$1.14 ZMW 21.67

4.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$1.56 ZMW 29.53

51.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$1.62 ZMW 30.79

-51.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

$47.22 ZMW 896

-12.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$2.72 ZMW 51.6

-47.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$9.43 ZMW 179

-14.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$1.20 ZMW 22.71

-21.67%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$7,881 ZMW 149.6K

127.41%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$28.9K ZMW 548.3K

-7.26%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$89.9 ZMW 1,706

-6.61%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$53.0 ZMW 1,005

-81.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$124 ZMW 2,355

-80.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$4.07 ZMW 77.3

-3.69%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$177 ZMW 3,351

73.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$9,736 ZMW 184.8K

-39.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$18.66 ZMW 354

210.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$17.33 ZMW 329

83.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$85.9 ZMW 1,630

16.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$73.4 ZMW 1,393

45.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Kafue: April 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: $190 vs $173 – 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: $1,034 in Medellin, $702 in Kafue – roughly 47% apart. Medellin costs more across the board, with Monthly Utilities & Internet showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,550 per month in Medellin and $1,053 in Kafue. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Kindergarten costs $306 per month in Medellin and $177 in Kafue. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 10% 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 $702, than in Medellin at $1,034. 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 $702 in Kafue to $1,034 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.