Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Luanda Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Luanda

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $1,010 in Luanda.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $1,900 in Luanda.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $2,790 in Luanda.

Living in Medellin is roughly 62% more expensive than in Luanda, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Luanda is 27% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$5.56 AOA 5,073

44.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.7K

$36.53 AOA 33.3K

32.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$6.47 AOA 5,908

45.60%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,045

$2.53 AOA 2,312

16.21%

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

$1.86 COP 5,738

$1.34 AOA 1,227

38.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,481

$1.16 AOA 1,056

25.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,887

$1.66 AOA 1,512

93.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$1.66 AOA 1,519

243.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,431

$1.99 AOA 1,819

-27.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,393

$0.95 AOA 869

152.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,230

$1.61 AOA 1,466

5.59%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,901

$1.88 AOA 1,713

53.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 31.0K

$9.26 AOA 8,449

8.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$3.44 AOA 3,138

189.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$7.52 AOA 6,861

88.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$2.25 AOA 2,057

76.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,880

$1.01 AOA 926

56.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,627

$2.78 AOA 2,536

-22.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,082

$1.84 AOA 1,683

25.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,172

$1.55 AOA 1,412

29.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,648

$1.58 AOA 1,441

-4.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,703

$1.76 AOA 1,604

-31.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,948

$0.34 AOA 315

276.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$1.62 AOA 1,481

137.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$5.89 AOA 5,377

137.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,259

$0.45 AOA 412

280.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,444

$0.92 AOA 838

197.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,836

$0.34 AOA 310

267.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.9K

$33.03 AOA 30.1K

135.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,018

$1.12 AOA 1,027

16.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,684

$0.91 AOA 830

138.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$5.50 AOA 5,019

50.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,174

$0.32 AOA 292

325.00%

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

$27.5K COP 84.6M

$14.2K AOA 12.9M

93.98%

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

$36.5K COP 112.5M

$22.7K AOA 20.7M

60.75%

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

$169 COP 519.5K

$101 AOA 92.0K

67.31%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$17.81 AOA 16.3K

-23.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$79.6 AOA 72.6K

-64.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.8K

$45.68 AOA 41.7K

0.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$15.58 AOA 14.2K

10.53%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$3.57 AOA 3,259

86.27%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$759 AOA 692.3K

5.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$13.3K AOA 12.2M

-31.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 269.0K

$109 AOA 99.4K

-19.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.8K

$63.7 AOA 58.1K

-6.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.7K

$99.0 AOA 90.4K

40.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.2K

$201 AOA 183.3K

-49.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$390 AOA 356.0K

174.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$196 AOA 179.1K

232.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$2,170 AOA 2.0M

-11.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$1,039 AOA 948.2K

0.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$12.0K AOA 10.9M

-65.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$894 AOA 815.6K

89.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$1,411 AOA 1.3M

-53.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-47.90%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Luanda: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $390 in Luanda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Luanda pays 115% 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 $37.00 in Luanda for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $183 per month, with Luanda 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 Luanda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Luanda differ by about 62% in total monthly costs ($1,641 vs $1,010 including rent). Luanda is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 115% lower in Luanda. 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 $390 in Luanda. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Luanda runs roughly 136% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $803 in Medellin versus $759 in Luanda. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,010 in Luanda versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Luanda but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Luanda 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.

Expats usually find Luanda gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.