Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Nairobi

For one person, living is cheaper in Nairobi: $885 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Nairobi
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Nairobi Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Nairobi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$885

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Nairobi

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $885 in Nairobi, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Nairobi $885

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,436 in Nairobi, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Nairobi $1,436

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,987 in Nairobi, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Nairobi $1,987

Medellin costs about 85% more than Nairobi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Nairobi is 35% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.4K

$6.43 KES 835

25.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.0K

$34.51 KES 4,482

36.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 29.9K

$6.26 KES 813

51.76%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,485

$2.60 KES 338

15.77%

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

$1.80 COP 5,660

$0.64 KES 82.9

181.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,443

$0.67 KES 86.8

110.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 9,990

$2.30 KES 299

38.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$2.75 KES 357

109.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,751

$0.95 KES 123

58.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,480

$0.59 KES 76.2

303.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,573

$2.00 KES 260

-11.50%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,093

$1.69 KES 220

71.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.1K

$11.01 KES 1,430

-7.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.1K

$6.41 KES 832

53.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.0K

$6.41 KES 832

118.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.5K

$3.42 KES 444

16.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,883

$1.06 KES 138

46.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,867

$2.03 KES 263

7.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,870

$1.14 KES 147

91.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,174

$1.10 KES 143

78.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,000

$1.10 KES 143

44.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,604

$0.74 KES 96.0

55.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,911

$0.76 KES 99.1

63.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$3.38 KES 438

17.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.0K

$11.65 KES 1,513

17.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,221

$2.26 KES 293

-26.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,103

$2.74 KES 356

-17.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,674

$0.83 KES 108

40.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

$46.81 KES 6,079

65.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 3,989

$1.52 KES 197

-16.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,442

$1.52 KES 198

34.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

$2.80 KES 364

205.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,237

$1.55 KES 202

-12.90%

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

$34.1K COP 107.2M

$19.4K KES 2.5M

75.80%

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

$22.2K KES 2.9M

56.07%

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

$170 COP 533.7K

$56.7 KES 7,359

199.36%

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

$13.55 COP 42.6K

$15.25 KES 1,981

-11.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.3K

$34.78 KES 4,516

-19.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

$51.6 KES 6,705

-15.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

$15.64 KES 2,031

9.91%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.7K

$7.60 KES 987

-9.08%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$277 KES 36.0K

187.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

$12.3K KES 1.6M

-25.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 266.5K

$27.73 KES 3,601

205.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 182.3K

$29.36 KES 3,812

97.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 424.6K

$69.3 KES 9,000

94.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 307.9K

$59.1 KES 7,671

65.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$441 KES 57.3K

173.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$235 KES 30.6K

172.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$1,131 KES 146.9K

79.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$522 KES 67.8K

93.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

$1,234 KES 160.2K

237.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$805 KES 104.5K

137.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$484 KES 62.9K

35.73%

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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Nairobi: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Nairobi

$235 26.6% 63.3% $406

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Nairobi

$209 23.7% 29.5% $88

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Nairobi

$107 12.1% 49.5% $105

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Nairobi

$124 14% 27.1% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Nairobi

$83 9.4% 50.6% $86

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Nairobi

$59 6.7% 36.7% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Nairobi

$67 7.6% 16.2% $9.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $441 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 36% 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 $47 in Medellin versus $35 in Nairobi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $209 – making Nairobi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇰🇪 Nairobi

🕒 Local time

15:35 3:35 PM

23:35 11:35 PM

8 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

3,138,295 Capital

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.92 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 October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.7 USD). 1 EUR = 145 KES (1,000 KES = 6.92 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Nairobi 12,500 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

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Medellin
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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 Nairobi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 85%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,327 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $441 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $35 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 $1,639 in Medellin and $885 in Nairobi. That makes Nairobi about 46% cheaper.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,639 in Medellin and $885 in Nairobi. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nairobi costs $885 versus $1,639 in Medellin. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Nairobi. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.