Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kigali Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kigali

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $870 in Kigali.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $1,361 in Kigali.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $1,852 in Kigali.

Living in Medellin is roughly 89% more expensive than in Kigali, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Kigali is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$2.76 RWF 4,049

191.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$30.30 RWF 44.4K

59.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$6.73 RWF 9,869

39.97%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$2.48 RWF 3,632

18.55%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$0.75 RWF 1,096

148.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.52 RWF 769

180.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$0.99 RWF 1,456

224.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$2.43 RWF 3,560

134.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$0.80 RWF 1,170

80.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$1.03 RWF 1,510

133.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$1.31 RWF 1,916

29.77%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$1.66 RWF 2,433

74.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$4.17 RWF 6,116

141.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$4.38 RWF 6,419

127.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$4.48 RWF 6,565

216.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$2.36 RWF 3,460

68.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$0.90 RWF 1,322

75.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$1.54 RWF 2,262

39.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$1.03 RWF 1,513

123.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$0.52 RWF 756

284.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$0.79 RWF 1,154

91.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$0.70 RWF 1,029

71.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.79 RWF 1,152

62.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$2.05 RWF 3,002

87.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$10.05 RWF 14.7K

39.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$0.93 RWF 1,369

83.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$1.56 RWF 2,294

75.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$0.35 RWF 518

257.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$25.87 RWF 37.9K

201.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$2.79 RWF 4,089

-53.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$2.06 RWF 3,029

5.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$3.33 RWF 4,891

148.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.72 RWF 2,523

-20.93%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$25.7K RWF 37.7M

7.00%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$30.1K RWF 44.1M

21.57%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$84.1 RWF 123.3K

100.74%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$7.20 RWF 10.6K

88.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$20.98 RWF 30.8K

34.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$26.94 RWF 39.5K

69.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$4.35 RWF 6,385

295.86%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$3.44 RWF 5,041

93.31%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$113 RWF 165.2K

613.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$9,432 RWF 13.8M

-2.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$17.09 RWF 25.1K

411.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$15.57 RWF 22.8K

281.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$21.86 RWF 32.1K

535.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$33.79 RWF 49.6K

201.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$664 RWF 974.2K

61.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$427 RWF 627.1K

52.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$1,418 RWF 2.1M

35.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$868 RWF 1.3M

20.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$3,400 RWF 5.0M

21.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$3,057 RWF 4.5M

-44.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$280 RWF 410.1K

134.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

16.2

-32.47%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Kigali: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $664 in Kigali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 134% 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 $30.00 in Kigali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $150 per month, with Kigali 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 Kigali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kigali wins on cost – living expenses run 89% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kigali the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 134% 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 $664 in Kigali. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 101% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Kigali – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $870 in Kigali versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kigali but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Kigali the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kigali delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $870 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kigali hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Kigali are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Kigali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 89% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.