Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Nakuru Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Nakuru

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $639 in Nakuru, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $978 in Nakuru, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $1,318 in Nakuru, rent included.

Medellin costs about 157% more than Nakuru, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Nakuru is 54% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$3.92 KES 506

105.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$34.07 KES 4,405

41.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$6.25 KES 808

50.72%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$1.97 KES 255

49.24%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$0.38 KES 48.59

389.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.22 KES 28.36

563.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$2.34 KES 302

37.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$2.77 KES 359

106.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$0.52 KES 67.6

176.92%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$0.47 KES 61.0

410.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$1.53 KES 197

11.11%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$1.61 KES 209

79.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$10.52 KES 1,360

-4.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$6.37 KES 823

56.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$6.35 KES 821

123.62%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$3.38 KES 437

17.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$0.99 KES 129

59.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$2.03 KES 263

5.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$1.11 KES 144

107.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$1.06 KES 137

88.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$1.07 KES 139

41.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$0.67 KES 86.7

79.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.74 KES 95.4

72.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$3.56 KES 461

7.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$11.57 KES 1,496

21.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$2.24 KES 290

-23.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$2.82 KES 364

-2.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$1.50 KES 194

-12.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$1.58 KES 205

37.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$2.98 KES 385

178.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.50 KES 194

-9.33%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$20.5K KES 2.6M

34.20%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$20.0K KES 2.6M

83.00%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$60.9 KES 7,872

177.14%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$15.19 KES 1,964

-10.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$35.73 KES 4,620

-20.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$7.68 KES 994

-13.41%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$241 KES 31.1K

233.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$11.8K KES 1.5M

-22.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$27.54 KES 3,561

217.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$26.28 KES 3,398

125.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$64.0 KES 8,268

117.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$60.0 KES 7,762

69.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$224 KES 29.0K

377.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$137 KES 17.7K

377.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$537 KES 69.4K

258.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$197 KES 25.4K

433.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

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 Nakuru: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,071 in Medellin versus $224 in Nakuru. 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $34.00 in Nakuru. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $198 – making Nakuru 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 Nakuru: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 157%, 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 $958 in Nakuru. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 51% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Nakuru, where all-in costs run around $639, than in Medellin at $1,641. In Nakuru it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nakuru – 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 Nakuru. 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.