Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Naivasha

For one person, living is cheaper in Naivasha: $542 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 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
26

Cost of Living Index in Naivasha
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Naivasha Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Naivasha

🇰🇪 Kenya

$542

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Naivasha

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

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $542 in Naivasha, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Naivasha $542

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $886 in Naivasha, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Naivasha $886

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $1,230 in Naivasha, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Naivasha $1,230

Medellin costs about 198% more than Naivasha, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Naivasha is 60% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$6.48 KES 840

22.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$34.08 KES 4,419

35.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$6.24 KES 809

52.24%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$2.59 KES 336

20.08%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$0.66 KES 85.2

177.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$0.60 KES 78.4

130.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$2.25 KES 292

35.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$2.64 KES 342

108.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$0.84 KES 109

72.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$0.52 KES 68.0

353.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$1.91 KES 247

-12.04%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$1.71 KES 222

67.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$10.46 KES 1,357

-2.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$6.51 KES 844

46.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$6.31 KES 818

122.50%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$3.31 KES 429

22.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$1.10 KES 142

36.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$1.95 KES 253

11.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$1.14 KES 148

102.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$1.12 KES 145

72.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$1.05 KES 136

56.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$0.69 KES 89.5

63.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$0.75 KES 96.7

66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$3.45 KES 447

15.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$11.51 KES 1,493

15.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$2.33 KES 302

-27.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$2.78 KES 360

-14.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$1.52 KES 197

-13.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

$1.52 KES 198

40.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$2.92 KES 378

190.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$1.56 KES 202

-16.67%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$21.6K KES 2.8M

29.87%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$20.1K KES 2.6M

75.82%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$55.6 KES 7,204

209.68%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$15.22 KES 1,973

-12.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$34.82 KES 4,515

-17.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$7.56 KES 980

-16.93%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$251 KES 32.5K

207.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$12.4K KES 1.6M

-27.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$27.97 KES 3,626

208.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$28.68 KES 3,718

99.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$70.8 KES 9,176

92.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$58.7 KES 7,606

66.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$757 KES 98.1K

436.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

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 12, 2026

Last update for Naivasha: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Naivasha

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Naivasha

$205 37.8% 30.4% $90

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Naivasha

$106 19.5% 50.7% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Naivasha

$84 15.5% 50.8% $86

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Naivasha

$123 22.7% 26.8% $45

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Naivasha

$9.1 * 1.7% 90.2% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Naivasha

$15 * 2.8% 73.8% $43

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin versus $34.00 in Naivasha. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $205 – making Naivasha the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇰🇪 Naivasha

🕒 Local time

03:12 3:12 AM

11:12 11:12 AM

8 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

14,563

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 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 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.71 USD). 1 EUR = 146 KES (1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Naivasha 12,450 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Naivasha

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 Naivasha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 198%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $813 in Naivasha. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin and $34.00 in Naivasha. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 44% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Naivasha, where all-in costs run around $542, than in Medellin at $1,614. 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.