Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ndola Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ndola

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,716 per month in Medellin vs $751 in Ndola, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,527 per month in Medellin vs $1,768 in Ndola, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,338 per month in Medellin vs $2,784 in Ndola, rent included.

Medellin costs about 128% more than Ndola, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Ndola is 45% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.1K

$5.75 ZMW 110

39.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 150.8K

$31.73 ZMW 608

52.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.5K

$5.13 ZMW 98.2

90.45%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,095

$2.89 ZMW 55.4

0.69%

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

$1.94 COP 6,074

$0.56 ZMW 10.63

246.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,754

$0.25 ZMW 4.75

508.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,663

$1.29 ZMW 24.64

139.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 17.9K

$2.35 ZMW 45.02

144.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,262

$1.74 ZMW 33.29

-21.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,460

$1.19 ZMW 22.76

100.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,314

$2.14 ZMW 41.01

-20.56%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 8,967

$1.65 ZMW 31.56

73.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.1K

$10.73 ZMW 205

-7.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.7K

$6.47 ZMW 124

66.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.0K

$6.81 ZMW 130

116.30%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$1.59 ZMW 30.49

157.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,911

$2.51 ZMW 48.00

-37.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,642

$3.76 ZMW 72.0

-43.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,917

$1.65 ZMW 31.61

33.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,396

$2.61 ZMW 49.89

-21.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,700

$1.95 ZMW 37.32

-23.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,718

$1.16 ZMW 22.22

2.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,619

$0.66 ZMW 12.54

75.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$3.12 ZMW 59.7

25.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.1K

$10.45 ZMW 200

38.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,948

$1.52 ZMW 29.17

3.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,836

$2.42 ZMW 46.43

16.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,650

$0.75 ZMW 14.41

56.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 242.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,014

$2.60 ZMW 49.81

-50.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,537

$1.56 ZMW 29.85

33.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 26.9K

$5.22 ZMW 99.9

65.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,056

$1.47 ZMW 28.20

-11.56%

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

$27.7K COP 86.4M

$7,874 ZMW 150.8K

251.27%

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

$35.5K COP 110.9M

$27.2K ZMW 520.4K

30.66%

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

$176 COP 550.1K

$84.6 ZMW 1,620

108.15%

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

$13.37 COP 41.8K

$10.89 ZMW 209

22.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 93.4K

$57.9 ZMW 1,109

-48.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 139.8K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.3K

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.4K

$6.17 ZMW 118

0.49%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$143 ZMW 2,732

456.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.2M

$16.7K ZMW 320.4K

-46.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 267.5K

$24.07 ZMW 461

255.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 182.7K

$16.45 ZMW 315

255.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 425.9K

$47.47 ZMW 909

187.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 322.2K

$75.9 ZMW 1,453

35.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$181 ZMW 3,474

484.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$157 ZMW 3,009

332.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$388 ZMW 7,439

417.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$1,519 ZMW 29.1K

-23.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.8M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

$591 ZMW 11.3K

12.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-62.28%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Ndola: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,060 in Medellin versus $181 in Ndola. 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 13% 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 $32.00 in Ndola. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $303 vs $233 – making Ndola 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 Ndola: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 128%, 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 $2,574 per month in Medellin and $1,127 in Ndola. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ndola, 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 $32.00 in Ndola. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 30% 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 Ndola, where all-in costs run around $751, than in Medellin at $1,716. In Ndola it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ndola – 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 Ndola. 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.