Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Pretoria

For one person, living is cheaper in Pretoria: $1,328 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Pretoria
Learn more

Pretoria Living Index

Jump to prices

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Pretoria

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,328

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Pretoria

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

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $1,328 in Pretoria, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Pretoria $1,328

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $2,017 in Pretoria, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Pretoria $2,017

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $2,707 in Pretoria, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Pretoria $2,707

Medellin costs about 22% more than Pretoria, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Pretoria is 2% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$9.04 R 149

-12.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$37.37 R 616

23.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$5.28 R 87.0

79.92%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$2.33 R 38.34

33.48%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$1.09 R 17.89

67.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$0.89 R 14.72

55.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$2.58 R 42.58

18.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$3.24 R 53.5

69.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$1.19 R 19.62

21.85%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$1.13 R 18.63

108.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$1.77 R 29.17

-5.08%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$2.55 R 42.00

12.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$8.20 R 135

24.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$4.82 R 79.5

97.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$7.45 R 123

88.46%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$1.71 R 28.22

138.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$1.61 R 26.46

-6.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$1.78 R 29.30

21.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$1.62 R 26.66

42.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$1.13 R 18.54

70.80%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$1.18 R 19.39

38.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$1.17 R 19.33

-3.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$1.33 R 21.97

-6.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$3.18 R 52.4

25.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$5.01 R 82.6

166.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$1.59 R 26.28

6.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$1.92 R 31.65

23.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

$4.81 R 79.2

-74.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

$176 R 2,893

-56.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$0.31 R 5.19

325.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

$0.75 R 12.40

185.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$14.28 R 235

-40.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$1.52 R 25.03

-14.47%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$35.1K R 578.0K

-20.22%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$33.3K R 549.0K

6.28%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$152 R 2,505

13.19%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$36.95 R 609

-63.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$37.42 R 617

-23.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

$31.33 R 516

44.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

$10.27 R 169

65.92%

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$7.46 R 123

-15.82%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$261 R 4,300

195.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$7,812 R 128.7K

15.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$53.8 R 886

60.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$31.62 R 521

80.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$94.0 R 1,549

45.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$83.9 R 1,383

16.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$456 R 7,514

131.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$401 R 6,610

53.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$981 R 16.2K

92.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

$749 R 12.3K

36.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$875 R 14.4K

364.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

$692 R 11.4K

142.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

$1,420 R 23.4K

-54.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.34

-3.53%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Pretoria: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Pretoria

$401 30.2% 34.8% $215

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Pretoria

$193 14.6% 34.4% $101

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Pretoria

$226 17.1% 5.7% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Pretoria

$119 8.9% 30.3% $52

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Pretoria

$143 10.8% 14.8% $25

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Pretoria

$199 15% 113% $106

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Pretoria

$46 3.5% 20% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $456 in Pretoria. 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 118% higher in Pretoria, 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 $46.00 in Medellin versus $37.00 in Pretoria. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $193 – making Pretoria the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇿🇦 Pretoria

🕒 Local time

07:34 7:34 AM

14:34 2:34 PM

7 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

741,651 Capital

💱 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 19, 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 19, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Pretoria 11,690 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Pretoria

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 Pretoria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 22%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $1,992 in Pretoria. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Pretoria, 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 $37.00 in Pretoria. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,614 in Medellin and $1,328 in Pretoria. That's a gap of about 22%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Pretoria, where all-in costs run around $1,328, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Pretoria it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Pretoria – 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 Pretoria. 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.