Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kuruman Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kuruman

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $1,133 in Kuruman.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $1,777 in Kuruman.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $2,422 in Kuruman.

Living in Medellin is roughly 45% more expensive than in Kuruman, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Kuruman is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$11.27 R 182

-28.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.9K

$42.04 R 677

14.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.1K

$6.55 R 105

43.82%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,056

$1.93 R 31.05

52.33%

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

$1.86 COP 5,745

$1.19 R 19.13

56.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,487

$0.60 R 9.70

143.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,899

$2.42 R 38.97

32.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$2.79 R 44.92

104.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,436

$1.21 R 19.45

19.01%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,401

$1.32 R 21.21

81.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,237

$1.86 R 29.94

-8.60%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,911

$4.39 R 70.8

-34.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 31.0K

$8.32 R 134

20.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$5.24 R 84.5

90.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.8K

$7.56 R 122

87.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$1.90 R 30.54

109.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,886

$1.75 R 28.10

-9.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,635

$1.86 R 29.92

15.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,090

$1.65 R 26.55

39.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,179

$1.51 R 24.32

32.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,654

$1.50 R 24.21

0.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,707

$1.21 R 19.41

-0.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,953

$1.24 R 20.05

3.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$3.58 R 57.7

7.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.2K

$5.00 R 80.5

180.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,265

$1.43 R 23.07

19.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,454

$1.99 R 32.03

37.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,840

$1.78 R 28.63

-29.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 240.2K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,023

$0.60 R 9.64

118.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,692

$1.05 R 16.98

106.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.6K

$10.06 R 162

-17.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,179

$1.45 R 23.33

-6.21%

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

$27.5K COP 84.7M

$38.0K R 612.6K

-27.78%

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

$36.5K COP 112.6M

$31.6K R 508.6K

15.70%

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

$169 COP 520.1K

$138 R 2,226

22.03%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$35.83 R 577

-62.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.3K

$38.11 R 614

-25.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.9K

$32.39 R 522

41.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.1K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$8.16 R 131

-18.50%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$236 R 3,797

240.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$5,776 R 93.0K

59.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 269.3K

$55.0 R 885

58.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 183.0K

$30.46 R 490

94.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 428.2K

$108 R 1,739

28.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.6K

$92.0 R 1,482

10.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$393 R 6,330

172.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$391 R 6,302

66.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$751 R 12.1K

156.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$764 R 12.3K

37.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$951 R 15.3K

333.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$735 R 11.8K

130.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$1,119 R 18.0K

-41.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-0.55%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Kuruman: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $393 in Kuruman. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kuruman pays 71% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $42.00 in Kuruman for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $208 per month, with Kuruman 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 Kuruman: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Kuruman differ by about 45% in total monthly costs ($1,641 vs $1,133 including rent). Kuruman is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 71% lower in Kuruman. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,071 in Medellin versus $393 in Kuruman. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $803 in Medellin versus $236 in Kuruman. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Kuruman – a meal for two runs $42.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,133 in Kuruman versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kuruman but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Kuruman the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Kuruman 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 Kuruman gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.