Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Serowe

For one person, living is cheaper in Serowe: $80.7 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $18,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Serowe

🇧🇼 Botswana

$80.7

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Serowe

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

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $80.7 in Serowe, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Serowe $80.7

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $141 in Serowe, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Serowe $141

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $201 in Serowe, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Serowe $201

Medellin costs about 1901% more than Serowe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Serowe is 94% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$1.37 P 18.30

5.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$1.10 P 14.71

114.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$1.71 P 22.83

67.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$4.01 P 53.6

250.12%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$1.34 P 17.87

203.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$1.08 P 14.39

38.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$1.64 P 21.94

40.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$1.43 P 19.13

34.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$1.40 P 18.74

17.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$0.72 P 9.66

73.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

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

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

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

$172 COP 545.6K

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

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

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$110 P 1,474

598.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$1,776 P 23.7K

407.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

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

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for Serowe: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Serowe

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Serowe

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Serowe

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Serowe

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Serowe

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Serowe

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Serowe

–

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇧🇼 Serowe

🕒 Local time

02:11 2:11 AM

09:11 9:11 AM

7 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

47,447

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Botswana Pula BWP P

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

100 BWP = 7.48 USD

100 BWP = 6.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BWP, 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).

Botswana Pula exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 13.36 BWP (100 BWP = 7.48 USD). 1 EUR = 15.02 BWP (100 BWP = 6.66 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Serowe 11,540 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Serowe

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 Serowe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 1901%, 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 $121 in Serowe. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 265% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

Kindergarten costs $770 per month in Medellin and $110 in Serowe. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Serowe, where all-in costs run around $80.7, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Serowe it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Serowe. 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.