Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Nairobi Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Nairobi

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $836 in Nairobi, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $1,368 in Nairobi, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $1,900 in Nairobi, rent included.

Medellin costs about 96% more than Nairobi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Nairobi is 39% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$3.94 KES 509

104.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$34.11 KES 4,410

41.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$6.21 KES 803

51.69%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$2.71 KES 351

8.49%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$0.60 KES 78.2

210.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.56 KES 73.0

160.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$2.39 KES 309

34.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$2.77 KES 358

106.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$0.84 KES 109

71.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$0.52 KES 67.8

361.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$1.88 KES 243

-9.57%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$1.63 KES 211

77.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$10.57 KES 1,366

-4.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$6.27 KES 810

59.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$6.13 KES 792

131.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$3.31 KES 428

20.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.04 KES 135

51.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$2.06 KES 266

4.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$1.07 KES 139

114.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$1.11 KES 143

80.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$1.07 KES 139

41.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$0.72 KES 93.6

66.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.73 KES 94.3

75.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$3.49 KES 452

10.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$11.54 KES 1,492

21.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$2.23 KES 288

-23.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$2.87 KES 371

-4.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$0.79 KES 102

58.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$45.54 KES 5,889

71.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$1.59 KES 206

-17.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$1.51 KES 195

43.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$2.94 KES 380

181.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.52 KES 197

-10.53%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$20.2K KES 2.6M

35.72%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$19.4K KES 2.5M

88.24%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$60.5 KES 7,816

179.11%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$15.08 KES 1,950

-10.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$35.24 KES 4,557

-19.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$51.0 KES 6,598

-10.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$14.83 KES 1,918

16.12%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$7.66 KES 990

-13.19%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$242 KES 31.3K

231.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$11.7K KES 1.5M

-21.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$26.74 KES 3,458

226.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$25.62 KES 3,313

131.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$62.3 KES 8,051

123.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$61.1 KES 7,905

66.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$452 KES 58.5K

136.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$215 KES 27.8K

203.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$1,135 KES 146.8K

69.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$508 KES 65.7K

106.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$1,302 KES 168.4K

216.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$917 KES 118.5K

85.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$484 KES 62.6K

35.25%

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: September 7, 2026

Last update for Nairobi: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,071 in Medellin versus $452 in Nairobi. 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 35% 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 $34.00 in Nairobi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $203 – making Nairobi 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 Nairobi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 96%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,462 per month in Medellin and $1,253 in Nairobi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nairobi, 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 $34.00 in Nairobi. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,641 in Medellin and $836 in Nairobi. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Nairobi, where all-in costs run around $836, than in Medellin at $1,641. In Nairobi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nairobi – 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 Nairobi. 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.