Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Swakopmund

For one person, living is cheaper in Swakopmund: $558 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 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

$1,625

/mo nomad

Swakopmund

🇳🇦 Namibia

$558

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Swakopmund

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

A single person spends $1,625 per month in Medellin vs $558 in Swakopmund, rent included.

Medellin $1,625
Swakopmund $558

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Medellin vs $1,034 in Swakopmund, rent included.

Medellin $2,412
Swakopmund $1,034

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Medellin vs $1,510 in Swakopmund, rent included.

Medellin $3,199
Swakopmund $1,510

Medellin costs about 191% more than Swakopmund, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Swakopmund is 59% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$5.35 NAD 88.2

55.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$33.92 NAD 559

38.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$3.51 NAD 57.8

163.25%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$1.68 NAD 27.68

81.55%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$0.77 NAD 12.73

133.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$0.57 NAD 9.47

142.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$1.26 NAD 20.72

157.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$1.61 NAD 26.46

245.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$2.16 NAD 35.61

-30.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$1.34 NAD 22.15

76.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$2.21 NAD 36.47

33.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$7.48 NAD 123

36.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$3.38 NAD 55.7

22.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$1.52 NAD 24.98

0.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$1.98 NAD 32.54

14.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

$7.71 NAD 127

78.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$0.59 NAD 9.80

181.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

$29.22 NAD 482

167.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

$0.78 NAD 12.91

64.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

$0.90 NAD 14.88

138.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

$7.18 NAD 118

16.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$1.23 NAD 20.24

9.76%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$52.1 NAD 859

219.62%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

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

$790 COP 2.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$69.1 NAD 1,138

43.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$404 NAD 6,654

154.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$232 NAD 3,816

167.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$841 NAD 13.8K

123.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$690 NAD 11.4K

46.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 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 19, 2026

Last update for Swakopmund: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Swakopmund

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Swakopmund

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Swakopmund

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Swakopmund

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Swakopmund

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Swakopmund

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Swakopmund

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $404 in Swakopmund. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin versus $34.00 in Swakopmund. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $298 vs $121 – making Swakopmund the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇳🇦 Swakopmund

🕒 Local time

00:13 12:13 AM

07:13 7:13 AM

7 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

25,000

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Namibian Dollar NAD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

100 NAD = 6.07 USD

100 NAD = 5.4 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NAD, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Namibian Dollar exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 NAD (100 NAD = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 NAD (100 NAD = 5.4 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Between locations

Medellin Swakopmund 10,290 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Swakopmund

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 Swakopmund: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 191%, 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 $838 in Swakopmund. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Swakopmund, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 168% less in Swakopmund. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 147% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Swakopmund, where all-in costs run around $558, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Swakopmund it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Swakopmund – 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 Swakopmund. 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.