Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Meru and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Meru: $520 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Meru
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Meru Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Meru

🇰🇪 Kenya

$520

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Meru and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Meru and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $520 per month in Meru vs $1,692 in Medellin, rent included.

Meru $520
Medellin $1,692

A couple spends around $853 per month in Meru vs $2,471 in Medellin, rent included.

Meru $853
Medellin $2,471

A family of three spends $1,185 per month in Meru vs $3,249 in Medellin, rent included.

Meru $1,185
Medellin $3,249

Meru is about 69% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Meru sits 62% below the global median, while Medellin is 25% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.43 KES 835

$8.34 COP 27.0K

-22.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.99 KES 4,543

$46.53 COP 150.9K

-24.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.24 KES 810

$9.47 COP 30.7K

-34.11%

Cappuccino

$2.59 KES 336

$3.13 COP 10.2K

-17.25%

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

$0.66 KES 85.6

$1.77 COP 5,727

-62.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.66 KES 86.0

$1.42 COP 4,619

-53.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.35 KES 305

$3.15 COP 10.2K

-25.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 KES 355

$5.70 COP 18.5K

-52.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.82 KES 106

$1.53 COP 4,969

-46.41%

White Bread (500g)

$0.40 KES 51.4

$2.29 COP 7,429

-82.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.11 KES 144

$1.94 COP 6,306

-42.78%

Eggs

$1.46 KES 190

$3.07 COP 9,942

-52.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.70 KES 1,389

$9.99 COP 32.4K

7.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.68 KES 867

$10.45 COP 33.9K

-36.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.12 KES 665

$13.96 COP 45.3K

-63.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.35 KES 434

$4.05 COP 13.1K

-17.28%

Banana (1kg)

$0.80 KES 104

$1.53 COP 4,956

-47.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.75 KES 98.0

$2.10 COP 6,823

-64.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.80 KES 103

$2.29 COP 7,437

-65.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 KES 150

$2.11 COP 6,839

-45.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 KES 132

$1.71 COP 5,542

-40.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.24 KES 31.33

$1.17 COP 3,794

-79.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 KES 51.9

$1.58 COP 5,123

-74.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.38 KES 439

$3.91 COP 12.7K

-13.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.69 KES 1,518

$14.04 COP 45.5K

-16.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 KES 297

$1.76 COP 5,712

30.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 KES 347

$2.71 COP 8,793

-1.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,825

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 247.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 KES 204

$1.81 COP 5,859

-13.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 KES 198

$2.13 COP 6,904

-28.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.85 KES 370

$8.13 COP 26.4K

-64.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 KES 208

$1.28 COP 4,135

25.00%

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

$19.5K KES 2.5M

$34.4K COP 111.7M

-43.30%

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

$21.9K KES 2.8M

$34.1K COP 110.7M

-35.82%

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

$57.0 KES 7,394

$178 COP 576.3K

-67.96%

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

$15.21 KES 1,976

$13.89 COP 45.0K

9.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.48 KES 4,478

$30.74 COP 99.7K

12.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 136.0K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$7.51 KES 976

$7.47 COP 24.2K

0.54%

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

$281 KES 36.4K

$790 COP 2.6M

-64.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.1K KES 1.6M

$12.3K COP 39.9M

-1.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.89 KES 3,621

$86.3 COP 279.9K

-67.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.49 KES 3,699

$59.3 COP 192.2K

-51.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.5 KES 9,027

$138 COP 448.6K

-49.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.8 KES 7,502

$98.8 COP 320.4K

-41.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

14.71

10.94

34.46%

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

Last update for Meru: November 2, 2026

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Meru

$183 35.2%

Medellin

$307 18.2% 67.8% $124

Eating Out

Meru

$124 23.8%

Medellin

$173 10.2% 39.5% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Meru

$107 20.5%

Medellin

$222 13.1% 109% $116

Clothing & Footwear

Meru

$83 15.9%

Medellin

$172 10.2% 108% $90

Sport & Entertainment

Meru

$15 * 2.9%

Medellin

$57 3.4% 279% $42

Getting Around

Meru

$9.2 * 1.8%

Medellin

$93 5.5% 917% $84

Accommodation & Living

Meru

- * 0%

Medellin

$667 39.4%

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

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35 in Meru versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $183 vs $307 – making Meru the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Meru

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

19:05 7:05 PM

11:05 11:05 AM

8 h behind Meru

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,833,000

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.87 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.08 USD

10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to KES – Kenyan Shilling Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇰🇪 Kenyan Shilling (Sh)

Kenyan Shilling exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.7 USD). 1 EUR = 146 KES (1,000 KES = 6.87 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,242 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,635 COP (10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR).

USD to KES in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Meru Medellin 12,580 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Meru
Medellin

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

Meru vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 225%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $781 per month in Meru and $2,538 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35 in Meru and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 68% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Meru, where all-in costs run around $520, than in Medellin at $1,692. In Meru it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $520 in Meru to $1,692 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.