Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Windhoek Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Windhoek

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,034 per month in Medellin vs $1,113 in Windhoek, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,577 per month in Medellin vs $1,813 in Windhoek, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,120 per month in Medellin vs $2,513 in Windhoek, rent included.

Medellin is about 7% cheaper than Windhoek, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Medellin and Windhoek are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 23% lower, Windhoek 17% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$10.61 NAD 178

-44.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$38.94 NAD 653

-15.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$5.24 NAD 87.9

37.40%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$1.91 NAD 32.03

-10.99%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$0.91 NAD 15.31

20.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.90 NAD 15.05

-20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$1.84 NAD 30.89

-9.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$2.26 NAD 37.82

37.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$1.45 NAD 24.26

-26.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$0.85 NAD 14.31

47.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$1.61 NAD 26.96

-13.66%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$2.90 NAD 48.62

-22.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$6.21 NAD 104

-30.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$5.32 NAD 89.3

9.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$6.60 NAD 111

33.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$1.86 NAD 31.19

20.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$1.92 NAD 32.21

-43.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$1.68 NAD 28.20

-8.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$1.74 NAD 29.21

-21.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$2.00 NAD 33.54

-43.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$1.81 NAD 30.30

-38.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$1.93 NAD 32.33

-55.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$1.14 NAD 19.04

-20.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$2.81 NAD 47.12

-17.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$6.64 NAD 111

67.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$1.39 NAD 23.33

-14.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$1.86 NAD 31.28

27.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$0.75 NAD 12.62

5.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

$40.91 NAD 686

0.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$0.75 NAD 12.64

92.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$0.72 NAD 12.04

165.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$11.68 NAD 196

-31.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$1.18 NAD 19.83

-20.34%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$21.3K NAD 357.4K

-15.91%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$23.5K NAD 393.7K

14.10%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$117 NAD 1,965

-28.36%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$18.00 NAD 302

-46.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$51.5 NAD 864

-53.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$37.57 NAD 630

-31.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

$13.44 NAD 225

41.67%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$5.20 NAD 87.2

-24.62%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$216 NAD 3,615

42.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$5,219 NAD 87.5K

13.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$51.4 NAD 862

12.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$27.43 NAD 460

16.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$89.0 NAD 1,492

12.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$80.7 NAD 1,354

32.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$500 NAD 8,382

-2.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$387 NAD 6,493

-4.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$1,287 NAD 21.6K

-35.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$936 NAD 15.7K

-23.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$1,403 NAD 23.5K

108.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

$616 NAD 10.3K

128.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

$991 NAD 16.6K

-44.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

11.69

14.88%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Last update for Windhoek: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $487 in Medellin versus $500 in Windhoek. 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 82% higher in Windhoek, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin versus $39.00 in Windhoek. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $190 vs $197 – making Medellin 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 Windhoek: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Windhoek is pricier by about 8%, and the gap shows up most in Monthly Utilities & Internet. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,550 per month in Medellin and $1,670 in Windhoek. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, 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 $33.00 in Medellin and $39.00 in Windhoek. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,034 in Medellin and $1,113 in Windhoek. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,034, than in Windhoek at $1,113. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Windhoek it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Medellin – 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 Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Windhoek makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.