Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kimberley

For one person, living is cheaper in Kimberley: $1,138 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,625
/mo nomad
Kimberley
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,138
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Kimberley

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Kimberley actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,625 per month in Medellin vs $1,138 in Kimberley, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,625
  • Kimberley $1,138

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Medellin vs $1,907 in Kimberley, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,412
  • Kimberley $1,907

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Medellin vs $2,676 in Kimberley, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,199
  • Kimberley $2,676

Medellin costs about 43% more than Kimberley, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Kimberley is 16% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Kimberley
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.30 COP 26.3K
$12.12 R 200
-31.52%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.91 COP 148.7K
$36.35 R 599
29.05%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.24 COP 29.3K
$6.22 R 103
48.55%
Cappuccino
$3.05 COP 9,676
$2.99 R 49.32
2.01%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,707
$1.29 R 21.17
39.53%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.38 COP 4,382
$1.30 R 21.49
6.15%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.24 COP 10.3K
$2.79 R 45.92
16.13%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.56 COP 17.6K
$2.67 R 44.00
108.24%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Kimberley
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.50 COP 4,760
$1.55 R 25.50
-3.23%
White Bread (500g)
$2.37 COP 7,508
$1.16 R 19.03
104.31%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.70 COP 5,377
$2.94 R 48.49
-42.18%
Eggs
$2.96 COP 9,379
$2.91 R 48.01
1.72%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.22 COP 32.4K
$6.52 R 107
56.75%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.74 COP 30.9K
$5.89 R 97.0
65.37%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.90 COP 44.1K
$8.33 R 137
66.87%
Apples (1kg)
$4.13 COP 13.1K
$2.35 R 38.64
75.74%
Banana (1kg)
$1.53 COP 4,839
$2.44 R 40.25
-37.30%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.22 COP 7,052
$1.78 R 29.25
24.72%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.27 COP 7,194
$3.34 R 55.0
-32.04%
Potato (1kg)
$1.99 COP 6,311
$1.52 R 24.99
30.92%
Onion (1kg)
$1.67 COP 5,285
$1.41 R 23.18
18.44%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.18 COP 3,742
$1.39 R 22.85
-15.11%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 3,919
$0.90 R 14.76
37.78%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.87 COP 12.3K
$3.28 R 54.0
17.99%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.78 COP 43.7K
$6.56 R 108
110.06%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,256
$2.30 R 37.83
-27.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.40 COP 7,615
$2.87 R 47.29
-16.38%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Kimberley
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.24 COP 3,944
$1.53 R 25.15
-18.95%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$78.2 COP 248.0K
$33.18 R 547
135.71%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.28 COP 4,044
$0.58 R 9.55
120.69%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.15 COP 6,803
$0.82 R 13.51
162.20%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.37 COP 26.5K
$13.15 R 217
-36.35%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,288
$1.45 R 23.81
-6.90%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.8K COP 110.2M
$37.5K R 617.3K
-7.23%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 110.0M
$38.3K R 630.5K
-9.36%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Kimberley
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$167 COP 528.4K
$108 R 1,772
54.94%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.62 COP 43.2K
$35.15 R 579
-61.25%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.12 COP 92.3K
$42.40 R 699
-31.32%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Kimberley
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.09 COP 143.0K
$22.40 R 369
101.29%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.18 COP 54.5K
$10.56 R 174
62.69%
Cinema Ticket
$6.97 COP 22.1K
$7.16 R 118
-2.65%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Kimberley
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$790 COP 2.5M
$242 R 3,981
226.93%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,041 COP 28.7M
$6,107 R 100.6K
48.03%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Kimberley
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.8 COP 278.4K
$54.5 R 897
61.22%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.2 COP 184.4K
$30.14 R 497
92.93%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$139 COP 440.7K
$101 R 1,669
37.23%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.9 COP 313.5K
$90.8 R 1,495
8.95%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Kimberley
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,028 COP 3.3M
$263 R 4,329
291.33%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$620 COP 2.0M
$338 R 5,574
83.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,881 COP 6.0M
$645 R 10.6K
191.81%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,008 COP 3.2M
$928 R 15.3K
8.55%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,988 COP 12.6M
$806 R 13.3K
394.53%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,702 COP 5.4M
$619 R 10.2K
174.95%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Kimberley
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$663 COP 2.1M
$949 R 15.6K
-30.11%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
10.94
-

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

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Kimberley: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$619
Kimberley
$338 45.4% $281
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$298
Kimberley
$229 23.3% $69
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$209
Kimberley
$185 11.6% $24
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$173
Kimberley
$124 27.9% $48
Eating Out
Medellin
$171
Kimberley
$181 6.1% $10
Getting Around
Medellin
$95
Kimberley
$44 53.8% $51
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$59
Kimberley
$37 37.8% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $263 in Kimberley. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 43% higher in Kimberley, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin versus $36.00 in Kimberley. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $298 vs $229 – making Kimberley the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇿🇦 Kimberley
🕒 Local time
09:24 9:24 AM
16:24 4:24 PM
7 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
225,160
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Kimberley 11,350 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Kimberley

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Kimberley: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kimberley cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 43%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,437 per month in Medellin and $1,708 in Kimberley. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Kimberley, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Medellin and in Kimberley?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,625 in Medellin and $1,138 in Kimberley. That's a gap of about 43%.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 136% less in Kimberley. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Medellin or in Kimberley?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Kimberley, where all-in costs run around $1,138, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Kimberley it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Medellin or Kimberley more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Kimberley – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Kimberley. 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.

Medellin vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?