Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Machakos Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Machakos

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $512 in Machakos.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $788 in Machakos.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $1,063 in Machakos.

Living in Medellin is roughly 220% more expensive than in Machakos, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Machakos is 63% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$3.18 KES 411

152.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$19.14 KES 2,475

152.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$6.15 KES 795

53.17%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$2.07 KES 267

42.03%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$0.56 KES 72.8

232.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.51 KES 65.8

186.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$2.10 KES 271

52.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$2.65 KES 343

115.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$0.40 KES 51.9

260.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$0.47 KES 60.9

410.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$0.79 KES 102

115.19%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$1.36 KES 175

112.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$10.48 KES 1,355

-4.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$6.43 KES 831

55.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$4.65 KES 602

205.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$1.52 KES 197

161.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$0.74 KES 95.6

113.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$0.40 KES 52.3

437.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$0.40 KES 52.1

475.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$0.75 KES 97.2

166.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$0.74 KES 96.2

104.05%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$0.69 KES 88.7

73.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.40 KES 51.9

220.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$3.58 KES 463

7.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$11.48 KES 1,485

22.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$1.97 KES 254

-13.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$2.88 KES 373

-4.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$0.79 KES 102

65.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$0.79 KES 102

174.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$2.97 KES 384

179.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.51 KES 196

-9.93%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$20.2K KES 2.6M

36.19%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$19.6K KES 2.5M

86.36%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$60.1 KES 7,775

180.59%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$7.94 KES 1,027

70.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$11.73 KES 1,516

141.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$38.06 KES 4,922

20.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$7.91 KES 1,023

-15.93%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$45.50 KES 5,884

1665.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$11.6K KES 1.5M

-20.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$11.74 KES 1,518

644.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$25.50 KES 3,297

132.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$64.1 KES 8,293

116.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$38.12 KES 4,930

167.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$94.5 KES 12.2K

1033.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$70.1 KES 9,058

832.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$156 KES 20.2K

1133.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$114 KES 14.8K

818.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$387 KES 50.1K

69.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

14.71

-25.63%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Machakos: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $94.5 in Machakos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 69% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $19.00 in Machakos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $160 per month, with Machakos 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 Machakos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Machakos wins on cost – living expenses run 220% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Machakos the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 69% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,071 in Medellin versus $94.5 in Machakos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 87% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,641 per month in Medellin versus $512 in Machakos – a 220% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $512 in Machakos versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Machakos but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Machakos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Machakos delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $512 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Machakos hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Machakos 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 Machakos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 220% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.