Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Roodepoort

For one person, living is cheaper in Roodepoort: $1,172 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 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
56

Cost of Living Index in Roodepoort
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Roodepoort Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Roodepoort

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,172

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Roodepoort

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,172 in Roodepoort, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Roodepoort $1,172

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,767 in Roodepoort, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Roodepoort $1,767

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,362 in Roodepoort, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Roodepoort $2,362

Medellin costs about 40% more than Roodepoort, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Roodepoort is 14% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$12.00 R 200

-32.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$44.96 R 748

4.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$7.11 R 118

33.61%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,734

$2.43 R 40.47

23.87%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$1.13 R 18.87

59.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,560

$0.98 R 16.28

43.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$2.44 R 40.53

30.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$2.78 R 46.26

106.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,875

$1.21 R 20.16

24.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,677

$1.15 R 19.12

106.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,719

$1.78 R 29.68

-0.56%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,332

$2.51 R 41.77

15.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$8.79 R 146

15.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$5.38 R 89.5

83.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$8.88 R 148

57.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$1.86 R 30.94

113.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,011

$1.79 R 29.77

-13.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,047

$1.73 R 28.78

26.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,050

$2.13 R 35.43

2.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,336

$1.72 R 28.58

13.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,131

$1.77 R 29.40

-10.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,698

$1.21 R 20.18

-4.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$1.26 R 20.91

-1.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$3.50 R 58.2

13.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$5.85 R 97.3

133.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$1.52 R 25.34

9.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,290

$1.91 R 31.75

18.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,770

$0.81 R 13.43

44.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$0.81 R 13.40

56.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,611

$0.88 R 14.71

132.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$14.69 R 244

-41.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,348

$1.56 R 25.91

-13.46%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$34.7K R 577.7K

-1.88%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$35.1K R 583.8K

-1.20%

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

$170 COP 547.7K

$226 R 3,761

-24.96%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$39.16 R 652

-65.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$37.33 R 621

-24.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$47.68 R 793

-8.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$7.35 R 122

-5.99%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$238 R 3,967

234.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$5,476 R 91.1K

66.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$52.1 R 866

62.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.1K

$32.49 R 541

78.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.7K

$110 R 1,822

23.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$88.4 R 1,471

10.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$598 R 9,957

101.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$289 R 4,800

122.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$1,530 R 25.5K

32.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$531 R 8,828

90.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$1,519 R 25.3K

-56.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.25

-2.76%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Roodepoort: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Roodepoort

$289 24.6% 55% $353

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Roodepoort

$210 17.9% 29.3% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Roodepoort

$303 25.8% 43.2% $91

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Roodepoort

$173 14.7% 1.8% $3.1

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Roodepoort

$127 10.9% 24.8% $42

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Roodepoort

$8.5 * 0.7% 91% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Roodepoort

$62 5.3% 8.4% $4.9

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $598 in Roodepoort. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Roodepoort are about 2.3 times higher, 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 $45 in Roodepoort. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $210 – making Roodepoort the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇿🇦 Roodepoort

🕒 Local time

10:18 10:18 AM

17:18 5:18 PM

7 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

325,000

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

100 ZAR = 6.01 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 16.64 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.01 USD). 1 EUR = 18.57 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Roodepoort 11,660 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Roodepoort

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 Roodepoort: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 40%, 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 $1,758 in Roodepoort. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Roodepoort, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $598 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $45 in Roodepoort. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 41% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Roodepoort, where all-in costs run around $1,172, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Roodepoort it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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