Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kitwe

For one person, living is cheaper in Kitwe: $186 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $18,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Kitwe

🇿🇲 Zambia

$186

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Kitwe

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

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $186 in Kitwe, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Kitwe $186

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $1,228 in Kitwe, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Kitwe $1,228

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $2,270 in Kitwe, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Kitwe $2,270

Medellin costs about 812% more than Kitwe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Kitwe is 86% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 26.9K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.2K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.6K

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$2.56 ZMW 51.9

22.27%

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

$1.77 COP 5,702

$0.58 ZMW 11.71

205.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,599

$0.76 ZMW 15.42

86.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$2.02 ZMW 40.98

55.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.4K

$2.46 ZMW 49.76

131.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,948

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,397

$1.02 ZMW 20.58

124.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,279

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,900

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.3K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.7K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.1K

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,934

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,794

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,405

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,810

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,518

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,778

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,101

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.6K

$2.48 ZMW 50.3

57.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.3K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,688

$1.13 ZMW 22.83

55.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,756

$0.98 ZMW 19.93

176.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,809

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 246.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,833

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,874

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.3K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,117

$1.42 ZMW 28.72

-9.86%

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

$34.4K COP 111.2M

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

$34.1K COP 110.2M

$30.4K ZMW 615.0K

12.39%

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

$178 COP 573.8K

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

$13.89 COP 44.8K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.2K

$102 ZMW 2,056

-69.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 135.4K

$15.11 ZMW 306

177.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.1K

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

$790 COP 2.6M

$609 ZMW 12.3K

29.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.7M

$11.9K ZMW 241.7K

3.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 278.7K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 191.3K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 446.6K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 319.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$1,205 ZMW 24.4K

11.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$2,451 ZMW 49.6K

-19.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$2,010 ZMW 40.7K

-48.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-69.61%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Kitwe: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Kitwe

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Kitwe

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Kitwe

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Kitwe

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Kitwe

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Kitwe

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Kitwe

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $1,205 in Kitwe. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇿🇲 Kitwe

🕒 Local time

13:42 1:42 PM

20:42 8:42 PM

7 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

522,092

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Zambian Kwacha ZMW ZK

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

100 ZMW = 4.94 USD

100 ZMW = 4.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZMW, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,615 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Zambian Kwacha exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 20.25 ZMW (100 ZMW = 4.94 USD). 1 EUR = 22.67 ZMW (100 ZMW = 4.41 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Medellin Kitwe 11,660 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

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Medellin
Kitwe

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 Kitwe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,692 in Medellin, $186 in Kitwe – Kitwe comes out roughly 89% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $278 in Kitwe. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Kitwe, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,205 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.

Kindergarten costs $790 per month in Medellin and $609 in Kitwe. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,692 in Medellin and $186 in Kitwe. That makes Kitwe about 89% cheaper.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Kitwe, where all-in costs run around $186, than in Medellin at $1,692. In Kitwe it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Kitwe – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.