Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Malindi

For one person, living is cheaper in Malindi: $517 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 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
25

Cost of Living Index in Malindi
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Malindi Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Malindi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$517

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Malindi

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $517 in Malindi, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Malindi $517

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $803 in Malindi, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Malindi $803

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,090 in Malindi, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Malindi $1,090

Medellin costs about 217% more than Malindi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Malindi is 62% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$2.14 KES 277

278.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$25.30 KES 3,284

85.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$10.44 KES 1,355

-9.00%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$2.70 KES 351

11.48%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$0.68 KES 88.5

164.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$0.52 KES 67.1

171.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$2.29 KES 298

38.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$3.23 KES 419

78.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$0.90 KES 117

67.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$0.50 KES 64.3

376.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$1.25 KES 162

41.60%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$1.83 KES 237

57.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$11.40 KES 1,480

-10.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$4.98 KES 647

98.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$4.89 KES 635

186.09%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$2.07 KES 269

91.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$0.78 KES 101

98.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$1.76 KES 228

23.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$0.71 KES 91.7

207.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$0.72 KES 93.7

172.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$0.65 KES 84.0

144.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$0.59 KES 77.1

94.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.45 KES 58.8

175.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$4.16 KES 540

-4.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$9.83 KES 1,276

39.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$2.01 KES 261

-17.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

$2.96 KES 384

-23.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$3.14 KES 408

-59.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

$1.78 KES 231

15.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$4.59 KES 596

86.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$1.37 KES 178

-1.46%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$12.0K KES 1.6M

182.75%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$12.0K KES 1.6M

188.81%

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$76.0 KES 9,870

123.11%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$8.99 KES 1,166

50.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$30.23 KES 3,924

-7.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$38.62 KES 5,013

13.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$15.42 KES 2,002

-55.19%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$85.5 KES 11.1K

831.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$5,381 KES 698.4K

69.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$13.28 KES 1,723

537.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

$13.38 KES 1,737

333.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

$23.49 KES 3,049

474.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$46.81 KES 6,076

109.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$379 KES 49.2K

435.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-15.85%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Malindi: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Malindi

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Malindi

$173 33.4% 41.9% $124

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Malindi

$115 22.3% 45.4% $96

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Malindi

$104 20.1% 38.9% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Malindi

$44 8.5% 74.2% $125

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Malindi

$12 * 2.3% 87.1% $82

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Malindi

$69 13.5% 20.7% $12

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $25 in Malindi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $173 – making Malindi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇰🇪 Malindi

🕒 Local time

23:35 11:35 PM

07:35 7:35 AM

8 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

117,735

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.9 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KES, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.7 USD). 1 EUR = 145 KES (1,000 KES = 6.9 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Malindi 12,890 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Malindi

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 Malindi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 217% more than Malindi, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $775 in Malindi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $25 in Malindi. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 72% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Malindi, where all-in costs run around $517, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Malindi 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 $517 in Malindi to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.