Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Walvis Bay Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Walvis Bay

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $874 in Walvis Bay, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $934 in Walvis Bay, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $995 in Walvis Bay, rent included.

Medellin costs about 88% more than Walvis Bay, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Walvis Bay is 37% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 25.1K

$9.05 NAD 145

-11.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 150.7K

$22.08 NAD 353

118.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.4K

$7.30 NAD 117

29.04%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,169

$2.15 NAD 34.40

36.74%

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

$1.86 COP 5,817

$0.91 NAD 14.62

104.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,543

$0.77 NAD 12.31

89.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 10.0K

$1.75 NAD 27.88

83.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.8K

$3.04 NAD 48.56

87.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,491

$1.68 NAD 26.85

-14.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,494

$0.89 NAD 14.18

169.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,302

$1.84 NAD 29.39

-7.61%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,022

$1.88 NAD 30.00

53.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 31.4K

$10.43 NAD 167

-3.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 31.1K

$6.07 NAD 96.9

64.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 44.3K

$7.61 NAD 122

86.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.4K

$2.26 NAD 36.18

76.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,947

$2.10 NAD 33.53

-24.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,718

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,178

$1.76 NAD 28.14

30.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,257

$2.50 NAD 39.90

-20.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$3.04 NAD 48.64

-50.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,754

$1.90 NAD 30.32

-36.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 4,002

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 12.0K

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$1.87 NAD 29.94

649.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,331

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,560

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,888

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 243.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,073

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,775

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.9K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,231

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

$27.5K COP 85.7M

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

$36.5K COP 114.0M

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

$169 COP 526.6K

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

$13.57 COP 42.4K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 88.4K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 142.7K

$43.38 NAD 693

5.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.8K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.8K

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

$803 COP 2.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 272.7K

$69.1 NAD 1,104

26.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 185.3K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 433.6K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$458 NAD 7,326

42.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 6.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.3M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

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: September 7, 2026

Last update for Walvis Bay: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $22.00 in Walvis Bay. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $183 – making Walvis Bay the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Walvis Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 88%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,462 per month in Medellin and $1,310 in Walvis Bay. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 64% 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 mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin and $22.00 in Walvis Bay. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Walvis Bay, where all-in costs run around $874, than in Medellin at $1,641. In Walvis Bay it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Walvis Bay – 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 Walvis Bay. 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.