Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Mbabane Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Mbabane

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,681 per month in Medellin vs $767 in Mbabane, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,445 per month in Medellin vs $1,234 in Mbabane, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,210 per month in Medellin vs $1,700 in Mbabane, rent included.

Medellin costs about 119% more than Mbabane, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 23% above the global median, while Mbabane is 44% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$10.58 SZL 173

-24.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$35.00 SZL 573

36.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$5.98 SZL 97.9

65.38%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$2.65 SZL 43.44

18.11%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$1.14 SZL 18.64

67.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.62 SZL 10.16

143.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$2.10 SZL 34.40

48.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$2.43 SZL 39.82

136.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.62 SZL 26.51

-11.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$0.83 SZL 13.54

200.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$1.77 SZL 28.96

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$1.81 SZL 29.61

63.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$11.06 SZL 181

-8.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$5.67 SZL 92.8

78.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$5.37 SZL 88.0

166.29%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$1.80 SZL 29.53

130.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$0.63 SZL 10.35

155.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$1.23 SZL 20.06

82.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$1.45 SZL 23.78

55.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$1.32 SZL 21.63

54.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$1.55 SZL 25.40

-0.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$0.67 SZL 10.97

74.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.78 SZL 12.74

67.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$2.80 SZL 45.83

39.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$5.97 SZL 97.7

134.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.58 SZL 25.80

10.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$1.65 SZL 27.00

73.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.77 SZL 12.65

58.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$1.42 SZL 23.20

54.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$3.13 SZL 51.3

178.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.24 SZL 20.30

10.48%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$65.0 SZL 1,064

172.81%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$38.93 SZL 637

-64.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$28.13 SZL 460

5.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$23.18 SZL 379

93.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$2.99 SZL 48.92

472.58%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$3.72 SZL 60.9

78.76%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$6,504 SZL 106.4K

41.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$35.52 SZL 581

151.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$15.56 SZL 255

278.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$72.7 SZL 1,190

90.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$54.5 SZL 891

87.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$277 SZL 4,529

283.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$179 SZL 2,937

269.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$466 SZL 7,621

305.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$353 SZL 5,785

190.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$484 SZL 7,919

764.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$374 SZL 6,127

347.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

7.25

50.90%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Mbabane: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,062 in Medellin versus $277 in Mbabane. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $35.00 in Mbabane. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $305 vs $184 – making Mbabane the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Mbabane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 119% more than Mbabane, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,521 per month in Medellin and $1,151 in Mbabane. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mbabane, 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 $1,681 in Medellin and $767 in Mbabane. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Groceries cost about 66% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Mbabane, where all-in costs run around $767, than in Medellin at $1,681. In Mbabane it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Mbabane costs $767 versus $1,681 in Medellin. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Mbabane. 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.