Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Port Shepstone

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Shepstone: $1,058 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Port Shepstone
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Port Shepstone Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Port Shepstone

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,058

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Port Shepstone

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

A single person spends $1,625 per month in Medellin vs $1,058 in Port Shepstone, rent included.

Medellin $1,625
Port Shepstone $1,058

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Medellin vs $1,592 in Port Shepstone, rent included.

Medellin $2,412
Port Shepstone $1,592

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Medellin vs $2,126 in Port Shepstone, rent included.

Medellin $3,199
Port Shepstone $2,126

Medellin costs about 54% more than Port Shepstone, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Port Shepstone is 22% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$7.68 R 127

8.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$38.93 R 641

20.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$6.06 R 99.8

52.48%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$2.72 R 44.89

12.13%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$1.11 R 18.28

62.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$0.85 R 13.98

62.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$2.46 R 40.54

31.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$2.61 R 42.96

113.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$0.89 R 14.70

68.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$0.71 R 11.74

233.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$1.20 R 19.80

41.67%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$1.50 R 24.68

97.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$7.14 R 118

43.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$3.63 R 59.8

168.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$7.22 R 119

92.52%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$1.19 R 19.63

247.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$0.72 R 11.85

112.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$0.62 R 10.27

258.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$1.55 R 25.49

46.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$0.60 R 9.83

231.67%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$1.46 R 24.11

14.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$0.92 R 15.18

28.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$0.59 R 9.64

110.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$3.73 R 61.5

3.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

$4.73 R 78.0

191.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$1.48 R 24.39

12.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$1.95 R 32.05

23.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

$1.72 R 28.37

-27.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

$0.41 R 6.78

212.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

$0.75 R 12.42

186.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

$7.83 R 129

6.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$1.33 R 21.86

1.50%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

$34.9K R 575.0K

-0.39%

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

$33.1K R 544.9K

4.86%

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$123 R 2,025

35.56%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$18.38 R 303

-25.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$37.21 R 613

-21.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

$31.90 R 526

41.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

$9.48 R 156

81.22%

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

$7.50 R 124

-7.07%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$314 R 5,180

151.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

$7,567 R 124.7K

19.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$54.0 R 889

62.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$30.29 R 499

91.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$100 R 1,653

38.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$84.3 R 1,389

17.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$426 R 7,013

141.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$418 R 6,887

48.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$634 R 10.5K

196.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$729 R 12.0K

38.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

$927 R 15.3K

330.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$775 R 12.8K

119.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$3,033 R 50.0K

-78.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.78

-7.13%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Port Shepstone: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Port Shepstone

$418 39.5% 32.5% $201

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Port Shepstone

$145 13.7% 51.4% $153

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Port Shepstone

$179 16.9% 14.7% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Port Shepstone

$121 11.4% 29.9% $52

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Port Shepstone

$138 13% 19.4% $33

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Port Shepstone

$11 * 1.1% 88.4% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Port Shepstone

$47 4.4% 20.5% $12

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $426 in Port Shepstone. 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 357% higher in Port Shepstone, 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 $47.00 in Medellin versus $39.00 in Port Shepstone. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $298 vs $145 – making Port Shepstone the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇿🇦 Port Shepstone

🕒 Local time

06:40 6:40 AM

13:40 1:40 PM

7 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

52,793

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Port Shepstone 11,900 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Port Shepstone

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 Port Shepstone: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 54%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,437 per month in Medellin and $1,587 in Port Shepstone. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Port Shepstone, 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 $47.00 in Medellin and $39.00 in Port Shepstone. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 106% 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 $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Port Shepstone, where all-in costs run around $1,058, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Port Shepstone it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Port Shepstone – 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 Port Shepstone. 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.