Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kinshasa

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,639 a month against $1,736 in Kinshasa, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. The total is higher in Kinshasa despite lower rent and utilities.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
83

Cost of Living Index in Kinshasa
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Kinshasa Living Index

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Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Kinshasa

🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo

$1,736

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Kinshasa

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 Kinshasa actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,736 in Kinshasa, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Kinshasa $1,736

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $3,031 in Kinshasa, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Kinshasa $3,031

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $4,327 in Kinshasa, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Kinshasa $4,327

Medellin is about 6% cheaper than Kinshasa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Medellin and Kinshasa sit above the global median – Medellin by 20%, Kinshasa by 28%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.6K

$18.15 CDF 41.1K

-55.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.9K

$83.9 CDF 189.7K

-43.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$14.77 CDF 33.4K

-35.68%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,540

$6.66 CDF 15.1K

-54.80%

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

$1.80 COP 5,693

$2.64 CDF 5,967

-31.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,469

$1.98 CDF 4,480

-28.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$2.55 CDF 5,768

24.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.2K

$4.59 CDF 10.4K

25.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,778

$3.20 CDF 7,238

-52.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,524

$2.23 CDF 5,053

6.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,606

$3.12 CDF 7,047

-43.27%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,146

$3.89 CDF 8,788

-25.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.2K

$9.53 CDF 21.6K

6.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.2K

$16.85 CDF 38.1K

-41.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.3K

$12.17 CDF 27.5K

14.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.6K

$3.63 CDF 8,202

9.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,911

$2.98 CDF 6,731

-47.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,907

$4.23 CDF 9,563

-48.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,910

$4.04 CDF 9,144

-46.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,210

$3.31 CDF 7,490

-40.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,029

$3.11 CDF 7,027

-48.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,625

$2.09 CDF 4,720

-44.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,934

$1.45 CDF 3,284

-14.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$4.44 CDF 10.1K

-10.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.3K

$15.88 CDF 35.9K

-13.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,252

$2.05 CDF 4,640

-19.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,145

$4.13 CDF 9,349

-45.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,696

$0.51 CDF 1,165

129.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 244.8K

$21.41 CDF 48.4K

261.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,013

$5.44 CDF 12.3K

-76.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,480

$1.24 CDF 2,812

65.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.1K

$5.12 CDF 11.6K

66.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,262

$1.70 CDF 3,856

-20.59%

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

$34.1K COP 107.8M

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

$34.7K COP 109.7M

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

$170 COP 536.8K

$86.6 CDF 195.9K

95.86%

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

$13.55 COP 42.9K

$27.48 CDF 62.1K

-50.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.8K

$69.5 CDF 157.1K

-59.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 138.3K

$78.6 CDF 177.8K

-44.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.4K

$21.48 CDF 48.6K

-19.97%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.9K

$14.73 CDF 33.3K

-53.09%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$565 CDF 1.3M

40.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.8M

$11.0K CDF 24.8M

-16.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 268.1K

$44.33 CDF 100.3K

91.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 183.4K

$38.84 CDF 87.8K

49.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 427.1K

$111 CDF 251.8K

21.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 309.7K

$126 CDF 284.2K

-22.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$1,698 CDF 3.8M

-28.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$558 CDF 1.3M

14.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$4,144 CDF 9.4M

-51.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$1,523 CDF 3.4M

-33.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.2M

$4,985 CDF 11.3M

-16.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$1,231 CDF 2.8M

55.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$356 CDF 804.6K

84.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-21.86%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Kinshasa: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Kinshasa

$558 32.2% 13% $83

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Kinshasa

$397 22.9% 33.7% $100

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Kinshasa

$184 10.6% 13.1% $28

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Kinshasa

$310 17.9% 82.7% $140

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Kinshasa

$144 8.3% 14.7% $25

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Kinshasa

$35 2% 62.5% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Kinshasa

$108 6.2% 87.9% $51

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $1,698 in Kinshasa. 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 85% higher in Medellin, 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 in Medellin versus $84 in Kinshasa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $397 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇩 Kinshasa

🕒 Local time

23:03 11:03 PM

05:03 5:03 AM

6 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

17,032,322 Capital

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Congolese Franc CDF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.16 USD

10,000 COP = 2.84 EUR

10,000 CDF = 4.42 USD

10,000 CDF = 3.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CDF, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,164 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,523 COP (10,000 COP = 2.84 EUR).

Congolese Franc exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 2,262 CDF (10,000 CDF = 4.42 USD). 1 EUR = 2,518 CDF (10,000 CDF = 3.97 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Kinshasa 10,160 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Kinshasa

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 Kinshasa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,639 in Medellin, $1,736 in Kinshasa – Medellin comes out roughly 6% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $2,604 in Kinshasa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,208 there versus $1,698 in Kinshasa.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $84 in Kinshasa. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $1,736 in Kinshasa. That makes Medellin about 6% cheaper.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,639 in Medellin and $1,736 in Kinshasa, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,639 in Medellin to $1,736 in Kinshasa. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.