Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Pietermaritzburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Pietermaritzburg: $1,033 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Pietermaritzburg
Learn more

Pietermaritzburg Living Index

Jump to prices

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Pietermaritzburg

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,033

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Pietermaritzburg

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,033 in Pietermaritzburg, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Pietermaritzburg $1,033

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,555 in Pietermaritzburg, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Pietermaritzburg $1,555

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,077 in Pietermaritzburg, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Pietermaritzburg $2,077

Medellin costs about 59% more than Pietermaritzburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Pietermaritzburg is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.4K

$7.74 R 129

4.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.0K

$35.63 R 594

32.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 29.9K

$5.80 R 96.6

63.79%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,485

$2.36 R 39.27

27.54%

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

$1.80 COP 5,660

$1.16 R 19.40

55.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,443

$1.03 R 17.15

36.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 9,990

$2.15 R 35.77

47.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$2.51 R 41.75

129.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,751

$1.33 R 22.16

13.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,480

$0.92 R 15.33

158.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,573

$1.70 R 28.31

4.12%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,093

$3.16 R 52.7

-8.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.1K

$7.22 R 120

41.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.1K

$4.94 R 82.3

99.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.0K

$6.36 R 106

119.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.5K

$2.04 R 34.00

94.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,883

$1.94 R 32.28

-20.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,867

$2.32 R 38.74

-6.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,870

$2.03 R 33.90

7.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,174

$1.78 R 29.68

10.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,000

$1.81 R 30.09

-12.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,604

$1.49 R 24.78

-22.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,911

$1.04 R 17.28

19.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$3.14 R 52.3

26.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.0K

$3.92 R 65.4

248.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,221

$1.42 R 23.70

16.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,103

$1.75 R 29.20

29.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,674

$2.86 R 47.70

-59.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

$19.71 R 328

292.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 3,989

$1.59 R 26.52

-20.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,442

$1.06 R 17.69

93.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,237

$1.44 R 23.96

-6.25%

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

$34.1K COP 107.2M

$26.5K R 442.3K

28.34%

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

$26.8K R 446.3K

29.46%

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

$170 COP 533.7K

$205 R 3,416

-17.23%

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

$13.55 COP 42.6K

$32.46 R 541

-58.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.3K

$37.19 R 620

-24.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

$43.80 R 730

-0.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

$3.05 R 50.9

463.61%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.7K

$4.84 R 80.6

42.77%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$177 R 2,949

350.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

$5,103 R 85.0K

78.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 266.5K

$56.7 R 945

49.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 182.3K

$34.35 R 572

68.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 424.6K

$114 R 1,897

18.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 307.9K

$69.9 R 1,165

40.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$216 R 3,606

458.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$217 R 3,613

195.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$576 R 9,598

252.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$405 R 6,753

149.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

$5,914 R 98.5K

-29.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$148 R 2,470

1189.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$1,058 R 17.6K

-37.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.67

-6.26%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Pietermaritzburg: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Pietermaritzburg

$217 21% 66.2% $425

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Pietermaritzburg

$194 18.8% 34.5% $103

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Pietermaritzburg

$275 26.6% 30% $63

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Pietermaritzburg

$132 12.8% 22.1% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Pietermaritzburg

$124 12% 26.8% $45

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Pietermaritzburg

$38 3.7% 59.3% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Pietermaritzburg

$53 5.2% 7.1% $4.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $216 in Pietermaritzburg. 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 61% higher in Pietermaritzburg, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $36 in Pietermaritzburg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $194 – making Pietermaritzburg the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇿🇦 Pietermaritzburg

🕒 Local time

11:58 11:58 AM

18:58 6:58 PM

7 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

618,536

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

100 ZAR = 6 USD

100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,501 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 16.66 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6 USD). 1 EUR = 18.55 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Pietermaritzburg 11,890 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Pietermaritzburg

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 Pietermaritzburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 59%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,550 in Pietermaritzburg. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pietermaritzburg, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $216 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $36 in Pietermaritzburg. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $1,033 in Pietermaritzburg. That’s a gap of about 59%.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,639 in Medellin and $1,033 in Pietermaritzburg, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Pietermaritzburg – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Pietermaritzburg is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 59% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.