Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nairobi and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Nairobi: $885 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Nairobi
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Nairobi Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

Jump to prices

Nairobi

🇰🇪 Kenya

$885

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $885 per month in Nairobi vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Nairobi $885
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $1,436 per month in Nairobi vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Nairobi $1,436
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $1,987 per month in Nairobi vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Nairobi $1,987
Medellin $3,186

Nairobi is about 46% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nairobi sits 35% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.43 KES 835

$8.09 COP 25.4K

-20.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.51 KES 4,482

$47.05 COP 148.0K

-26.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.26 KES 813

$9.50 COP 29.9K

-34.11%

Cappuccino

$2.60 KES 338

$3.01 COP 9,485

-13.62%

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

$0.64 KES 82.9

$1.80 COP 5,660

-64.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 KES 86.8

$1.41 COP 4,443

-52.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.30 KES 299

$3.18 COP 9,990

-27.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 KES 357

$5.75 COP 18.1K

-52.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 KES 123

$1.51 COP 4,751

-37.09%

White Bread (500g)

$0.59 KES 76.2

$2.38 COP 7,480

-75.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 KES 260

$1.77 COP 5,573

12.99%

Eggs

$1.69 KES 220

$2.89 COP 9,093

-41.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.01 KES 1,430

$10.19 COP 32.1K

8.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.41 KES 832

$9.87 COP 31.1K

-35.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.41 KES 832

$13.99 COP 44.0K

-54.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.42 KES 444

$3.97 COP 12.5K

-13.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 KES 138

$1.55 COP 4,883

-31.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 KES 263

$2.18 COP 6,867

-6.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.14 KES 147

$2.18 COP 6,870

-47.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.10 KES 143

$1.96 COP 6,174

-43.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.10 KES 143

$1.59 COP 5,000

-30.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.74 KES 96.0

$1.15 COP 3,604

-35.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 KES 99.1

$1.24 COP 3,911

-38.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.38 KES 438

$3.96 COP 12.5K

-14.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.65 KES 1,513

$13.68 COP 43.0K

-14.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 KES 293

$1.66 COP 5,221

36.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 KES 356

$2.26 COP 7,103

21.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.83 KES 108

$1.17 COP 3,674

-29.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.81 KES 6,079

$77.4 COP 243.4K

-39.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.52 KES 197

$1.27 COP 3,989

19.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 KES 198

$2.05 COP 6,442

-25.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 KES 364

$8.55 COP 26.9K

-67.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 KES 202

$1.35 COP 4,237

14.81%

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

$19.4K KES 2.5M

$34.1K COP 107.2M

-43.12%

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

$22.2K KES 2.9M

$34.7K COP 109.1M

-35.93%

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

$56.7 KES 7,359

$170 COP 533.7K

-66.60%

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

$15.25 KES 1,981

$13.55 COP 42.6K

12.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.78 KES 4,516

$28.07 COP 88.3K

23.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 KES 6,705

$43.70 COP 137.5K

18.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.64 KES 2,031

$17.19 COP 54.1K

-9.02%

Cinema Ticket

$7.60 KES 987

$6.91 COP 21.7K

9.99%

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

$277 KES 36.0K

$797 COP 2.5M

-65.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K KES 1.6M

$9,112 COP 28.7M

34.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$27.73 KES 3,601

$84.7 COP 266.5K

-67.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.36 KES 3,812

$58.0 COP 182.3K

-49.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$69.3 KES 9,000

$135 COP 424.6K

-48.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.1 KES 7,671

$97.9 COP 307.9K

-39.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$441 KES 57.3K

$1,208 COP 3.8M

-63.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$235 KES 30.6K

$642 COP 2.0M

-63.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,131 KES 146.9K

$2,028 COP 6.4M

-44.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$522 KES 67.8K

$1,012 COP 3.2M

-48.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,234 KES 160.2K

$4,170 COP 13.1M

-70.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$805 KES 104.5K

$1,910 COP 6.0M

-57.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$484 KES 62.9K

$657 COP 2.1M

-26.33%

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 Nairobi: October 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Nairobi

$235 26.6%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 173% $406

Groceries & Markets

Nairobi

$209 23.7%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 41.8% $88

Eating Out

Nairobi

$124 14%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 37.2% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nairobi

$107 12.1%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 98% $105

Clothing & Footwear

Nairobi

$83 9.4%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 103% $86

Sport & Entertainment

Nairobi

$67 7.6%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 13.9% $9.3

Getting Around

Nairobi

$59 6.7%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 57.9% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $441 in Nairobi versus $1,208 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 36% 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 $35 in Nairobi versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $209 vs $297 – making Nairobi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇰🇪 Nairobi

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

19:28 7:28 PM

11:28 11:28 AM

8 h behind Nairobi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,138,295 Capital

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Kenyan Shilling KES Sh

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 KES = 7.7 USD

1,000 KES = 6.92 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 130 KES (1,000 KES = 7.7 USD). 1 EUR = 145 KES (1,000 KES = 6.92 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,501 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

USD to KES in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Nairobi Medellin 12,500 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

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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

Nairobi vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 85%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,327 per month in Nairobi and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nairobi, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $441 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35 in Nairobi 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 $885 in Nairobi and $1,639 in Medellin. That’s a gap of about 85%.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $885 in Nairobi and $1,639 in Medellin. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Nairobi costs $885 versus $1,639 in Medellin. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

If budget matters most, go with Nairobi. 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.