Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mombasa and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Mombasa: $719 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Mombasa
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Mombasa Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Mombasa

🇰🇪 Kenya

$719

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $719 per month in Mombasa vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

Mombasa $719
Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $1,147 per month in Mombasa vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

Mombasa $1,147
Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $1,575 per month in Mombasa vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

Mombasa $1,575
Medellin $3,190

Mombasa is about 55% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Mombasa sits 47% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.66 KES 345

$7.93 COP 25.2K

-66.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.34 KES 3,285

$46.13 COP 146.3K

-45.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.48 KES 1,359

$9.50 COP 30.1K

10.32%

Cappuccino

$2.74 KES 355

$3.11 COP 9,866

-11.90%

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

$0.68 KES 88.0

$1.83 COP 5,800

-62.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.52 KES 67.7

$1.38 COP 4,360

-62.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.34 KES 303

$3.05 COP 9,672

-23.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 KES 428

$5.50 COP 17.4K

-40.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 KES 130

$1.45 COP 4,600

-31.03%

White Bread (500g)

$0.51 KES 65.6

$2.36 COP 7,496

-78.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.55 KES 201

$1.68 COP 5,328

-7.74%

Eggs

$1.82 KES 236

$2.86 COP 9,077

-36.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.91 KES 1,803

$10.19 COP 32.3K

36.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.00 KES 648

$9.53 COP 30.2K

-47.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.25 KES 681

$14.04 COP 44.5K

-62.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.10 KES 272

$4.07 COP 12.9K

-48.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 KES 150

$1.50 COP 4,742

-22.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.76 KES 228

$2.17 COP 6,891

-18.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.70 KES 90.9

$2.31 COP 7,310

-69.70%

Potato (1kg)

$0.72 KES 93.8

$1.93 COP 6,113

-62.69%

Onion (1kg)

$1.01 KES 130

$1.64 COP 5,196

-38.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 KES 78.4

$1.13 COP 3,571

-46.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.43 KES 55.6

$1.25 COP 3,954

-65.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.00 KES 518

$3.99 COP 12.6K

0.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.56 KES 1,239

$13.35 COP 42.3K

-28.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 KES 258

$1.70 COP 5,384

17.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 KES 365

$2.37 COP 7,525

18.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.80 KES 104

$1.21 COP 3,827

-33.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.84 KES 5,035

$76.5 COP 242.5K

-49.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 KES 410

$1.32 COP 4,179

139.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 KES 227

$2.14 COP 6,774

-18.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.65 KES 603

$8.47 COP 26.8K

-45.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 KES 202

$1.30 COP 4,114

20.00%

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

$12.1K KES 1.6M

$28.0K COP 88.7M

-56.88%

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

$11.8K KES 1.5M

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-66.62%

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

$76.9 KES 9,975

$172 COP 545.6K

-55.29%

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

$9.14 KES 1,184

$13.37 COP 42.4K

-31.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.48 KES 4,470

$28.73 COP 91.1K

20.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$18.18 KES 2,357

$45.24 COP 143.5K

-59.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.93 KES 2,454

$17.04 COP 54.0K

11.09%

Cinema Ticket

$15.63 KES 2,027

$6.28 COP 19.9K

148.89%

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

$86.4 KES 11.2K

$770 COP 2.4M

-88.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,415 KES 702.1K

$9,011 COP 28.6M

-39.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$13.05 KES 1,692

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-84.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$13.77 KES 1,785

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-75.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.30 KES 3,021

$137 COP 432.9K

-82.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.20 KES 5,990

$97.9 COP 310.4K

-52.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$227 KES 29.5K

$1,055 COP 3.3M

-78.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$157 KES 20.4K

$616 COP 2.0M

-74.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$540 KES 70.0K

$1,892 COP 6.0M

-71.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$372 KES 48.3K

$1,023 COP 3.2M

-63.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,411 KES 701.6K

$4,059 COP 12.9M

33.32%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,884 KES 503.6K

$1,678 COP 5.3M

131.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$313 KES 40.5K

$652 COP 2.1M

-52.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

18.83%

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

Last update for Mombasa: October 10, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Mombasa

$185 25.8%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 58.9% $109

Accommodation & Living

Mombasa

$157 21.9%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 292% $459

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mombasa

$121 16.8%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 77.7% $94

Eating Out

Mombasa

$109 15.1%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 54.9% $60

Getting Around

Mombasa

$54 7.5%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 73% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Mombasa

$49 6.9%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 16.9% $8.4

Clothing & Footwear

Mombasa

$43 6%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 293% $127

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $227 in Mombasa versus $1,055 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 109% higher in Medellin, 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 $25.00 in Mombasa versus $46.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $185 vs $295 – making Mombasa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Mombasa

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

14:47 2:47 PM

06:47 6:47 AM

8 h behind Mombasa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,300,000

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.71 USD

1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 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 October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.71 USD). 1 EUR = 146 KES (1,000 KES = 6.86 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to KES in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Mombasa Medellin 12,850 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Mombasa
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

Mombasa vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 125%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,078 per month in Mombasa and $2,421 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Mombasa, 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 $25.00 in Mombasa and $46.00 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 $719 in Mombasa and $1,614 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 125%.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Mombasa, where all-in costs run around $719, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Mombasa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Mombasa – 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 Mombasa. 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.