Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Middelburg, South Africa

For one person, living is cheaper in Middelburg: $1,099 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 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
52

Cost of Living Index in Middelburg
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Middelburg Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Middelburg

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,099

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Middelburg

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

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $1,099 in Middelburg, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Middelburg $1,099

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $1,695 in Middelburg, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Middelburg $1,695

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $2,291 in Middelburg, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Middelburg $2,291

Medellin costs about 54% more than Middelburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Middelburg is 19% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 27.0K

$9.53 R 157

-12.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.9K

$35.98 R 592

29.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.7K

$5.87 R 96.5

61.33%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.2K

$1.29 R 21.26

142.64%

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

$1.77 COP 5,727

$0.83 R 13.58

113.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,619

$0.64 R 10.54

121.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$1.17 R 19.28

169.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.5K

$1.52 R 25.01

275.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,969

$1.17 R 19.20

30.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,429

$1.04 R 17.14

120.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,306

$1.46 R 24.09

32.88%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,942

$1.70 R 28.00

80.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.4K

$5.76 R 94.8

73.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.9K

$4.96 R 81.6

110.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.3K

$6.60 R 109

111.52%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$1.66 R 27.35

143.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,956

$1.08 R 17.79

41.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,823

$1.12 R 18.42

87.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,437

$1.24 R 20.35

84.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,839

$1.73 R 28.38

21.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,542

$1.23 R 20.27

39.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,794

$1.24 R 20.37

-5.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,123

$1.04 R 17.10

51.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.7K

$2.39 R 39.37

63.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.5K

$4.80 R 78.9

192.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,712

$1.76 R 28.99

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,793

$2.06 R 33.85

31.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,825

$1.42 R 23.40

-16.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 247.4K

$42.88 R 705

77.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,859

$0.94 R 15.45

92.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,904

$0.74 R 12.24

187.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.4K

$11.57 R 190

-29.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,135

$1.33 R 21.95

-3.76%

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

$34.4K COP 111.7M

$34.3K R 563.7K

0.51%

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

$34.1K COP 110.7M

$31.9K R 525.0K

6.96%

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

$178 COP 576.3K

$151 R 2,487

17.57%

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

$13.89 COP 45.0K

$35.28 R 580

-60.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.7K

$37.41 R 615

-17.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 136.0K

$32.36 R 532

29.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.5K

$12.35 R 203

36.03%

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.2K

$6.25 R 103

19.52%

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

$790 COP 2.6M

$236 R 3,879

235.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.9M

$6,077 R 100.0K

102.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 279.9K

$53.1 R 874

62.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 192.2K

$31.79 R 523

86.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 448.6K

$98.9 R 1,626

39.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 320.4K

$86.8 R 1,427

13.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$398 R 6,546

236.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$361 R 5,944

84.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$719 R 11.8K

174.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$728 R 12.0K

41.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.3M

$757 R 12.5K

441.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

$670 R 11.0K

189.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

$1,193 R 19.6K

-45.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

10.92

0.18%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Middelburg: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Middelburg

$361 32.9% 45.8% $306

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Middelburg

$170 15.4% 44.8% $138

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Middelburg

$224 20.4% 0.7% $1.5

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Middelburg

$124 11.3% 28.1% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Middelburg

$122 11.1% 29.3% $51

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Middelburg

$53 4.8% 43% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Middelburg

$45 4.1% 21.2% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $398 in Middelburg. 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 85% higher in Middelburg, 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 $47 in Medellin versus $36 in Middelburg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $170 – making Middelburg the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇿🇦 Middelburg

🕒 Local time

17:41 5:41 PM

00:41 12:41 AM

7 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

87,348

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.08 USD

10,000 COP = 2.74 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.08 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,242 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,650 COP (10,000 COP = 2.74 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 16.45 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.08 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Medellin Middelburg 11,820 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

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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 Middelburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 54%, 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 $1,648 in Middelburg. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Middelburg, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $398 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $36 in Middelburg. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,692 in Medellin and $1,099 in Middelburg. That makes Middelburg about 35% cheaper.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,692 in Medellin and $1,099 in Middelburg. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Middelburg – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Middelburg is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 35% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.