Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Lubumbashi

For one person, living is cheaper in Lubumbashi: $1,228 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Lubumbashi
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Lubumbashi Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Lubumbashi

🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo

$1,228

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Lubumbashi

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

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $1,228 in Lubumbashi, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Lubumbashi $1,228

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $2,727 in Lubumbashi, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Lubumbashi $2,727

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $4,226 in Lubumbashi, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Lubumbashi $4,226

Medellin costs about 31% more than Lubumbashi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Lubumbashi is 9% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$9.91 CDF 22.5K

-19.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$99.1 CDF 224.6K

-53.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$9.92 CDF 22.5K

-4.23%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$4.03 CDF 9,131

-22.83%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$1.08 CDF 2,458

69.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$1.99 CDF 4,508

53.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$2.54 CDF 5,756

116.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$1.96 CDF 4,446

-26.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$1.22 CDF 2,764

93.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$3.18 CDF 7,204

-47.17%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$2.10 CDF 4,761

36.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$14.77 CDF 33.5K

-31.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$7.70 CDF 17.4K

23.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$15.52 CDF 35.2K

-9.54%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$4.96 CDF 11.2K

-17.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$3.07 CDF 6,960

-51.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$4.88 CDF 11.1K

-55.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$2.98 CDF 6,745

-22.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$2.56 CDF 5,810

-24.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$2.66 CDF 6,020

-38.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$0.98 CDF 2,220

15.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$1.22 CDF 2,774

2.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$4.07 CDF 9,227

-1.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$12.73 CDF 28.8K

4.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$1.15 CDF 2,600

47.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$2.08 CDF 4,719

13.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

$1.01 CDF 2,289

19.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$4.47 CDF 10.1K

-70.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$9.87 CDF 22.4K

-14.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$1.48 CDF 3,361

-12.16%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$25.1K CDF 56.8M

11.71%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$30.6K CDF 69.3M

15.82%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$99.9 CDF 226.3K

72.30%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$20.13 CDF 45.6K

-33.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$60.3 CDF 136.6K

-52.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

$73.6 CDF 166.8K

-38.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$132 CDF 297.9K

485.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$4,456 CDF 10.1M

102.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$22.35 CDF 50.6K

286.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$22.55 CDF 51.1K

153.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$59.1 CDF 133.9K

131.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$86.5 CDF 196.0K

13.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$862 CDF 2.0M

22.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$376 CDF 851.7K

63.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$2,522 CDF 5.7M

-24.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

$2,051 CDF 4.6M

-50.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$1,012 CDF 2.3M

301.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

$499 CDF 1.1M

236.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

$1,064 CDF 2.4M

-38.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Lubumbashi: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Lubumbashi

$376 30.6% 38.9% $240

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Lubumbashi

$327 26.6% 11% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Lubumbashi

$180 14.7% 15.8% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Lubumbashi

$86 7% 49.6% $84

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Lubumbashi

$177 * 14.4% 5% $8.4

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Lubumbashi

$8.5 * 0.7% 90.9% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Lubumbashi

$74 * 6% 27.3% $16

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $862 in Lubumbashi. 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 63% higher in Lubumbashi, 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 $46.00 in Medellin versus $99.0 in Lubumbashi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $327 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇩 Lubumbashi

🕒 Local time

02:37 2:37 AM

09:37 9:37 AM

7 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

1,139,064

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Congolese Franc CDF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

10,000 CDF = 4.41 USD

10,000 CDF = 3.93 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Congolese Franc exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 2,265 CDF (10,000 CDF = 4.41 USD). 1 EUR = 2,547 CDF (10,000 CDF = 3.93 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Medellin Lubumbashi 11,570 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

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Medellin
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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 Lubumbashi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,614 in Medellin, $1,228 in Lubumbashi – roughly 31% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $1,842 in Lubumbashi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lubumbashi, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,614 in Medellin and $1,228 in Lubumbashi. That's a gap of about 31%.

Kindergarten costs $770 per month in Medellin and $132 in Lubumbashi. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Lubumbashi, where all-in costs run around $1,228, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Lubumbashi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,228 in Lubumbashi to $1,614 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Lubumbashi. 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.