Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Middelburg, South Africa and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Middelburg: $1,099 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in Middelburg
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Middelburg Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Middelburg

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,099

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Middelburg 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 Middelburg and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,099 per month in Middelburg vs $1,692 in Medellin, rent included.

Middelburg $1,099
Medellin $1,692

A couple spends around $1,695 per month in Middelburg vs $2,471 in Medellin, rent included.

Middelburg $1,695
Medellin $2,471

A family of three spends $2,291 per month in Middelburg vs $3,249 in Medellin, rent included.

Middelburg $2,291
Medellin $3,249

Middelburg is about 35% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Middelburg sits 19% below the global median, while Medellin is 25% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.53 R 157

$8.34 COP 27.0K

14.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.98 R 592

$46.53 COP 150.9K

-22.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.87 R 96.5

$9.47 COP 30.7K

-38.01%

Cappuccino

$1.29 R 21.26

$3.13 COP 10.2K

-58.79%

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

$0.83 R 13.58

$1.77 COP 5,727

-53.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 R 10.54

$1.42 COP 4,619

-54.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 R 19.28

$3.15 COP 10.2K

-62.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 R 25.01

$5.70 COP 18.5K

-73.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 R 19.20

$1.53 COP 4,969

-23.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 R 17.14

$2.29 COP 7,429

-54.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.46 R 24.09

$1.94 COP 6,306

-24.74%

Eggs

$1.70 R 28.00

$3.07 COP 9,942

-44.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.76 R 94.8

$9.99 COP 32.4K

-42.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.96 R 81.6

$10.45 COP 33.9K

-52.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.60 R 109

$13.96 COP 45.3K

-52.72%

Apples (1kg)

$1.66 R 27.35

$4.05 COP 13.1K

-59.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 R 17.79

$1.53 COP 4,956

-29.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.12 R 18.42

$2.10 COP 6,823

-46.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.24 R 20.35

$2.29 COP 7,437

-45.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.73 R 28.38

$2.11 COP 6,839

-18.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 R 20.27

$1.71 COP 5,542

-28.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.24 R 20.37

$1.17 COP 3,794

5.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 R 17.10

$1.58 COP 5,123

-34.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.39 R 39.37

$3.91 COP 12.7K

-38.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.80 R 78.9

$14.04 COP 45.5K

-65.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 R 28.99

$1.76 COP 5,712

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 R 33.85

$2.71 COP 8,793

-23.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 R 23.40

$1.18 COP 3,825

20.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$42.88 R 705

$76.3 COP 247.4K

-43.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 R 15.45

$1.81 COP 5,859

-48.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 R 12.24

$2.13 COP 6,904

-65.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.57 R 190

$8.13 COP 26.4K

42.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 R 21.95

$1.28 COP 4,135

3.91%

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

$34.3K R 563.7K

$34.4K COP 111.7M

-0.51%

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

$31.9K R 525.0K

$34.1K COP 110.7M

-6.50%

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

$151 R 2,487

$178 COP 576.3K

-14.94%

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

$35.28 R 580

$13.89 COP 45.0K

154.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.41 R 615

$30.74 COP 99.7K

21.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.36 R 532

$41.94 COP 136.0K

-22.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.35 R 203

$16.80 COP 54.5K

-26.49%

Cinema Ticket

$6.25 R 103

$7.47 COP 24.2K

-16.33%

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

$236 R 3,879

$790 COP 2.6M

-70.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,077 R 100.0K

$12.3K COP 39.9M

-50.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.1 R 874

$86.3 COP 279.9K

-38.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.79 R 523

$59.3 COP 192.2K

-46.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 R 1,626

$138 COP 448.6K

-28.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.8 R 1,427

$98.8 COP 320.4K

-12.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$398 R 6,546

$1,341 COP 4.3M

-70.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$361 R 5,944

$667 COP 2.2M

-45.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$719 R 11.8K

$1,976 COP 6.4M

-63.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$728 R 12.0K

$1,033 COP 3.3M

-29.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$757 R 12.5K

$4,098 COP 13.3M

-81.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$670 R 11.0K

$1,940 COP 6.3M

-65.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,193 R 19.6K

$646 COP 2.1M

84.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.92

10.94

-0.18%

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

Last update for Middelburg: October 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Middelburg

$361 32.9%

Medellin

$667 39.4% 84.6% $306

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Middelburg

$224 20.4%

Medellin

$222 13.1% 0.7% $1.5

Groceries & Markets

Middelburg

$170 15.4%

Medellin

$307 18.2% 81.1% $138

Eating Out

Middelburg

$124 11.3%

Medellin

$173 10.2% 39% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Middelburg

$122 11.1%

Medellin

$172 10.2% 41.5% $51

Getting Around

Middelburg

$53 4.8%

Medellin

$93 5.5% 75.6% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Middelburg

$45 4.1%

Medellin

$57 3.4% 26.8% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $398 in Middelburg versus $1,341 in Medellin. 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 85% higher in Middelburg, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36 in Middelburg versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $170 vs $307 – making Middelburg the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Middelburg

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

01:02 1:02 AM

18:02 6:02 PM

7 h behind Middelburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

87,348

2,486,723

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.08 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.08 USD

10,000 COP = 2.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 16.45 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.08 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,242 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,650 COP (10,000 COP = 2.74 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

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Middelburg Medellin 11,820 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Middelburg
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

Middelburg vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 54%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,648 per month in Middelburg and $2,538 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Middelburg, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $398 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36 in Middelburg and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,099 in Middelburg and $1,692 in Medellin. That makes Middelburg about 35% cheaper.

$1,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,099 in Middelburg and $1,692 in Medellin. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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

For expats, Middelburg is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 35% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.