Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ongata Rongai

For one person, living is cheaper in Ongata Rongai: $571 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $12,500 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
28

Cost of Living Index in Ongata Rongai
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Ongata Rongai Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Ongata Rongai

🇰🇪 Kenya

$571

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Ongata Rongai

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

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $571 in Ongata Rongai, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Ongata Rongai $571

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $880 in Ongata Rongai, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Ongata Rongai $880

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $1,189 in Ongata Rongai, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Ongata Rongai $1,189

Medellin costs about 183% more than Ongata Rongai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Ongata Rongai is 58% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$6.38 KES 827

24.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$19.02 KES 2,465

142.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$6.23 KES 808

52.49%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$1.97 KES 256

57.87%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$0.32 KES 41.56

471.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$0.41 KES 52.8

236.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$2.35 KES 304

29.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$2.77 KES 359

98.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$0.45 KES 57.9

222.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$0.48 KES 62.6

391.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$1.58 KES 205

6.33%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$1.35 KES 175

111.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$4.29 KES 556

137.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$3.46 KES 449

175.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$3.55 KES 460

295.49%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$1.24 KES 161

228.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$1.09 KES 142

37.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$1.13 KES 147

92.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$0.61 KES 78.6

278.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$0.74 KES 95.5

160.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$0.47 KES 61.4

248.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$0.73 KES 94.1

54.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$0.44 KES 56.7

184.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$2.30 KES 298

73.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$9.13 KES 1,184

46.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$2.28 KES 295

-25.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$2.82 KES 365

-15.96%

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

$1.57 KES 204

-15.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

$1.53 KES 198

39.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$2.94 KES 381

188.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$1.62 KES 210

-19.75%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$21.6K KES 2.8M

29.39%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$20.0K KES 2.6M

77.18%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$55.0 KES 7,130

212.89%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$14.94 KES 1,938

-10.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$34.88 KES 4,522

-17.63%

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

$252 KES 32.7K

205.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$12.6K KES 1.6M

-28.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$28.60 KES 3,709

202.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$29.63 KES 3,841

92.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$68.8 KES 8,913

98.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$58.7 KES 7,611

66.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$152 KES 19.7K

594.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$116 KES 15.0K

431.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$235 KES 30.5K

704.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

$235 KES 30.5K

334.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

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 Ongata Rongai: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Ongata Rongai

$116 20.3% 81.2% $500

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Ongata Rongai

$129 22.6% 56.3% $166

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Ongata Rongai

$105 18.4% 51.1% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Ongata Rongai

$84 14.6% 50.9% $87

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Ongata Rongai

$114 19.9% 32.5% $55

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Ongata Rongai

$9.2 * 1.6% 90.1% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Ongata Rongai

$15 * 2.7% 73.8% $43

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $152 in Ongata Rongai. 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 $46.00 in Medellin versus $19.00 in Ongata Rongai. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $129 – making Ongata Rongai the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇰🇪 Ongata Rongai

🕒 Local time

03:12 3:12 AM

11:12 11:12 AM

8 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

172,569

💱 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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Medellin Ongata Rongai 12,500 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

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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 Ongata Rongai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 183%, 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 $856 in Ongata Rongai. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ongata Rongai, 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 $46.00 in Medellin and $19.00 in Ongata Rongai. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 129% 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 Ongata Rongai, where all-in costs run around $571, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Ongata Rongai it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ongata Rongai – 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 Ongata Rongai. 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.