Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Meru

For one person, living is cheaper in Meru: $520 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
25

Cost of Living Index in Meru
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Meru Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Meru

🇰🇪 Kenya

$520

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Meru

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

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $520 in Meru, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Meru $520

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $853 in Meru, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Meru $853

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $1,185 in Meru, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Meru $1,185

Medellin costs about 225% more than Meru, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Meru is 62% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 26.9K

$6.43 KES 835

29.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.1K

$34.99 KES 4,542

32.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.5K

$6.24 KES 810

51.76%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$2.59 KES 336

20.85%

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

$1.77 COP 5,696

$0.66 KES 85.6

168.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,594

$0.66 KES 86.0

115.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$2.35 KES 305

34.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.4K

$2.73 KES 355

108.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,943

$0.82 KES 106

86.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,389

$0.40 KES 51.4

472.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,273

$1.11 KES 144

74.77%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,889

$1.46 KES 190

110.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.2K

$10.70 KES 1,389

-6.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.7K

$6.68 KES 867

56.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.0K

$5.12 KES 665

172.66%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$3.35 KES 434

20.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,929

$0.80 KES 104

91.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,786

$0.75 KES 98.0

180.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,397

$0.80 KES 103

186.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,803

$1.16 KES 150

81.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,512

$1.01 KES 132

69.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,774

$0.24 KES 31.32

387.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,096

$0.40 KES 51.9

295.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.6K

$3.38 KES 439

15.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.3K

$11.69 KES 1,518

20.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,682

$2.29 KES 297

-23.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,746

$2.67 KES 347

1.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,805

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 246.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,827

$1.57 KES 204

15.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,867

$1.52 KES 198

40.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.2K

$2.85 KES 370

185.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,113

$1.60 KES 208

-20.00%

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

$34.4K COP 111.1M

$19.5K KES 2.5M

76.38%

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

$34.1K COP 110.1M

$21.9K KES 2.8M

55.81%

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

$178 COP 573.2K

$57.0 KES 7,393

212.08%

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

$13.89 COP 44.8K

$15.21 KES 1,975

-8.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.1K

$34.48 KES 4,477

-10.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 135.3K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.2K

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.1K

$7.51 KES 976

-0.53%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$281 KES 36.4K

181.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.7M

$12.1K KES 1.6M

1.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 278.4K

$27.89 KES 3,621

209.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 191.1K

$28.49 KES 3,699

108.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 446.2K

$69.5 KES 9,026

98.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 318.7K

$57.8 KES 7,501

71.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

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: November 2, 2026

Last update for Meru: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Meru

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Meru

$183 35.2% 40.4% $124

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Meru

$107 20.5% 52% $116

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Meru

$124 23.8% 28.3% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Meru

$83 15.9% 52% $90

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Meru

$9.2 * 1.8% 90.2% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Meru

$15 * 2.9% 73.6% $42

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 $35 in Meru. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $183 – making Meru the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇰🇪 Meru

🕒 Local time

01:20 1:20 AM

09:20 9:20 AM

8 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

1,833,000

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.84 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 5, 2026: 1 USD = 3,225 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,631 COP (10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR).

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.7 USD). 1 EUR = 146 KES (1,000 KES = 6.84 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Meru 12,580 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Meru

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 Meru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 225%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $781 in Meru. 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 $35 in Meru. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 68% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Meru, where all-in costs run around $520, than in Medellin at $1,692. In Meru 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 $520 in Meru to $1,692 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.