Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Naivasha Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Naivasha

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,028 per month in Medellin vs $584 in Naivasha, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,586 per month in Medellin vs $996 in Naivasha, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,144 per month in Medellin vs $1,408 in Naivasha, rent included.

Medellin costs about 76% more than Naivasha, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Medellin and Naivasha are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 23% lower, Naivasha 56% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.00 COP 20.6K

$5.49 KES 711

9.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.84 COP 112.9K

$39.35 KES 5,098

-16.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 COP 25.5K

$6.70 KES 868

10.75%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,675

$2.48 KES 322

-33.47%

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

$1.07 COP 3,673

$0.70 KES 90.3

52.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 COP 2,614

$0.50 KES 64.6

52.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,925

$2.36 KES 306

-27.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 COP 11.0K

$2.82 KES 365

13.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,607

$0.92 KES 119

14.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,492

$0.53 KES 68.0

147.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 COP 4,604

$1.59 KES 205

-15.72%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,543

$1.63 KES 211

34.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.41 COP 15.2K

$11.60 KES 1,502

-61.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.69 COP 19.6K

$6.83 KES 884

-16.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.52 COP 29.3K

$5.76 KES 746

47.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,046

$3.15 KES 408

-25.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,815

$1.09 KES 141

1.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,225

$2.08 KES 270

-26.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,694

$1.06 KES 137

29.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 3,962

$1.08 KES 140

6.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 COP 4,055

$1.12 KES 145

5.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 COP 2,893

$0.65 KES 83.8

29.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 COP 2,940

$0.76 KES 99.0

13.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.26 COP 7,776

$3.18 KES 412

-28.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.60 COP 39.9K

$11.58 KES 1,500

0.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,121

$2.25 KES 292

-46.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 8,508

$2.68 KES 347

-7.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,729

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 140.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,038

$1.52 KES 197

-3.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,587

$1.58 KES 205

21.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.77 COP 26.7K

$2.96 KES 383

162.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,474

$1.53 KES 199

-33.99%

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

$17.7K COP 60.7M

$21.7K KES 2.8M

-18.53%

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

$26.5K COP 90.9M

$20.2K KES 2.6M

31.15%

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

$81.1 COP 278.8K

$33.91 KES 4,394

139.16%

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

$9.43 COP 32.4K

$16.93 KES 2,193

-44.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.86 COP 82.0K

$39.45 KES 5,111

-39.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.99 COP 89.4K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.71 COP 64.3K

Cinema Ticket

$4.09 COP 14.1K

$6.13 KES 794

-33.28%

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

$315 COP 1.1M

$204 KES 26.4K

54.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,022 COP 20.7M

$7,965 KES 1.0M

-24.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 COP 205.2K

$17.91 KES 2,320

233.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.97 COP 109.9K

$23.84 KES 3,089

34.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 347.9K

$66.5 KES 8,609

52.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 COP 361.3K

$57.0 KES 7,389

84.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 COP 1.7M

$114 KES 14.8K

325.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 COP 1.3M

$77.2 KES 10.0K

372.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$827 COP 2.8M

$231 KES 29.9K

258.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.5M

$183 KES 23.7K

298.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,992 COP 10.3M

$758 KES 98.2K

294.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,314 COP 4.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$551 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

14.84

-9.50%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 15, 2026

Last update for Naivasha: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $485 in Medellin versus $114 in Naivasha. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin versus $39.00 in Naivasha. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $190 vs $206 – making Medellin 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 Naivasha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 76%, 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 $1,542 per month in Medellin and $875 in Naivasha. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Naivasha, 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 $33.00 in Medellin and $39.00 in Naivasha. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 9% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Naivasha, where all-in costs run around $584, than in Medellin at $1,028. In Naivasha it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Naivasha – 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 Naivasha. 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.