Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kiambu Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kiambu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $474 in Kiambu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $774 in Kiambu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $1,075 in Kiambu.

Living in Medellin is roughly 246% more expensive than in Kiambu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Kiambu is 66% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$3.97 KES 513

102.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$34.24 KES 4,427

41.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$6.01 KES 777

56.74%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$2.71 KES 350

8.49%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$0.55 KES 71.3

238.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.52 KES 67.7

180.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$2.29 KES 296

40.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$2.66 KES 344

114.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$0.54 KES 69.6

166.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$0.50 KES 65.3

380.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$1.89 KES 244

-10.05%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$1.42 KES 184

103.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$10.54 KES 1,363

-4.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$6.30 KES 814

58.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$4.07 KES 526

248.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$3.25 KES 420

22.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.01 KES 130

56.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$0.76 KES 97.8

182.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$0.60 KES 77.0

283.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$0.68 KES 88.4

194.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$0.73 KES 93.9

106.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$0.30 KES 38.67

300.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.40 KES 52.0

220.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$3.45 KES 447

11.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$11.74 KES 1,518

19.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$2.29 KES 296

-25.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$2.74 KES 354

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$0.68 KES 87.6

83.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$1.55 KES 201

-15.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$0.37 KES 48.15

486.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$2.97 KES 384

179.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.57 KES 204

-13.38%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$20.1K KES 2.6M

36.65%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$19.6K KES 2.5M

86.58%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$60.0 KES 7,754

181.34%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$7.74 KES 1,001

75.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$35.57 KES 4,599

-20.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$5.87 KES 759

13.29%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$243 KES 31.4K

230.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$11.5K KES 1.5M

-19.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$26.69 KES 3,451

227.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$25.86 KES 3,343

129.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$64.0 KES 8,269

117.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$61.0 KES 7,882

67.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$117 KES 15.1K

815.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$1,149 KES 148.6K

258.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$122 KES 15.8K

435.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

14.71

-25.63%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Kiambu: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $117 in Kiambu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 436% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $34.00 in Kiambu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $177 per month, with Kiambu cheaper across the board.

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 Kiambu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kiambu is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 246% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 436% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,071 in Medellin versus $117 in Kiambu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $803 in Medellin versus $243 in Kiambu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Kiambu – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $474 in Kiambu versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kiambu but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Kiambu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kiambu is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Kiambu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 246% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.