Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Mombasa Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Mombasa

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,681 per month in Medellin vs $674 in Mombasa, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,445 per month in Medellin vs $1,121 in Mombasa, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,210 per month in Medellin vs $1,569 in Mombasa, rent included.

Medellin costs about 150% more than Mombasa, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Medellin sits 23% above the global median, while Mombasa is 51% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$2.27 KES 294

253.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$23.05 KES 2,984

107.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$10.29 KES 1,332

-3.89%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$3.69 KES 478

-15.18%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$1.01 KES 131

89.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.43 KES 55.1

251.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$2.37 KES 306

31.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$3.27 KES 423

75.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$0.94 KES 122

53.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$0.50 KES 64.6

398.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$1.56 KES 202

13.46%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$1.75 KES 227

69.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$11.04 KES 1,429

-8.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$5.50 KES 712

84.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$5.31 KES 688

169.30%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$2.17 KES 281

90.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.19 KES 154

35.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$1.85 KES 240

21.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$0.64 KES 82.5

251.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$0.67 KES 87.1

204.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$1.05 KES 136

46.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$0.56 KES 72.9

108.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.43 KES 55.4

204.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$4.55 KES 589

-14.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$7.52 KES 973

86.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.92 KES 248

-9.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$2.81 KES 364

2.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.80 KES 103

52.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$38.16 KES 4,940

110.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$3.12 KES 404

-58.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$1.79 KES 232

22.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$4.73 KES 613

84.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.55 KES 200

-11.61%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$12.1K KES 1.6M

130.96%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$11.7K KES 1.5M

204.72%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$56.0 KES 7,248

216.66%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$13.27 KES 1,718

4.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$33.64 KES 4,354

-11.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$18.32 KES 2,372

144.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$19.23 KES 2,489

-10.97%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$10.61 KES 1,374

-37.32%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$87.8 KES 11.4K

825.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$5,364 KES 694.3K

71.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$13.27 KES 1,718

574.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$13.59 KES 1,759

333.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$23.09 KES 2,989

498.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$46.00 KES 5,955

122.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$230 KES 29.8K

360.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$154 KES 20.0K

329.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$551 KES 71.3K

242.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$400 KES 51.8K

156.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$5,493 KES 711.1K

-23.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$3,917 KES 507.1K

-57.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$315 KES 40.8K

115.02%

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: September 14, 2026

Last update for Mombasa: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,062 in Medellin versus $230 in Mombasa. 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 115% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $23.00 in Mombasa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $305 vs $175 – making Mombasa 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 Mombasa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 150%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,521 per month in Medellin and $1,010 in Mombasa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mombasa, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin and $23.00 in Mombasa. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,681 in Medellin and $674 in Mombasa. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mombasa, where all-in costs run around $674, than in Medellin at $1,681. In Mombasa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

If budget matters most, go with Mombasa. 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.