Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nakuru and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Nakuru: $642 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $12,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Nakuru, Kenya
Medellin, Colombia
Nakuru
🇰🇪 Kenya
$642
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $642 per month in Nakuru vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Nakuru $642
  • Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $994 per month in Nakuru vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Nakuru $994
  • Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $1,346 per month in Nakuru vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

  • Nakuru $1,346
  • Medellin $3,186

Nakuru is about 61% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nakuru sits 53% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nakuru
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.84 KES 499
$8.09 COP 25.4K
-52.53%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$34.80 KES 4,519
$47.05 COP 148.0K
-26.04%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.54 KES 849
$9.50 COP 29.9K
-31.16%
Cappuccino
$1.94 KES 252
$3.01 COP 9,485
-35.55%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.39 KES 50.7
$1.80 COP 5,660
-78.33%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.24 KES 31.36
$1.41 COP 4,443
-82.98%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.26 KES 294
$3.18 COP 9,990
-28.93%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.62 KES 340
$5.75 COP 18.1K
-54.43%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nakuru
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.52 KES 67.4
$1.51 COP 4,751
-65.56%
White Bread (500g)
$0.44 KES 56.8
$2.38 COP 7,480
-81.51%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.58 KES 205
$1.77 COP 5,573
-10.73%
Eggs
$1.53 KES 199
$2.89 COP 9,093
-47.06%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.81 KES 1,404
$10.19 COP 32.1K
6.08%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$6.44 KES 836
$9.87 COP 31.1K
-34.75%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.38 KES 828
$13.99 COP 44.0K
-54.40%
Apples (1kg)
$3.36 KES 437
$3.97 COP 12.5K
-15.37%
Banana (1kg)
$1.03 KES 134
$1.55 COP 4,883
-33.55%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.07 KES 269
$2.18 COP 6,867
-5.05%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.09 KES 142
$2.18 COP 6,870
-50.00%
Potato (1kg)
$1.15 KES 149
$1.96 COP 6,174
-41.33%
Onion (1kg)
$1.10 KES 143
$1.59 COP 5,000
-30.82%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.71 KES 92.2
$1.15 COP 3,604
-38.26%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.80 KES 103
$1.24 COP 3,911
-35.48%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.40 KES 442
$3.96 COP 12.5K
-14.14%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.38 KES 1,478
$13.68 COP 43.0K
-16.81%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.22 KES 289
$1.66 COP 5,221
33.73%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.71 KES 352
$2.26 COP 7,103
19.91%
🚌 Getting Around
Nakuru
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.17 COP 3,674
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$77.4 COP 243.4K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.51 KES 196
$1.27 COP 3,989
18.90%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.51 KES 196
$2.05 COP 6,442
-26.34%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.94 KES 381
$8.55 COP 26.9K
-65.61%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.62 KES 210
$1.35 COP 4,237
20.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$19.6K KES 2.5M
$34.1K COP 107.2M
-42.49%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.5K KES 2.8M
$34.7K COP 109.1M
-38.06%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nakuru
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$55.5 KES 7,207
$170 COP 533.7K
-67.29%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$15.37 KES 1,996
$13.55 COP 42.6K
13.43%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.48 KES 4,478
$28.07 COP 88.3K
22.84%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nakuru
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$43.70 COP 137.5K
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$17.19 COP 54.1K
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.91 KES 1,027
$6.91 COP 21.7K
14.47%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nakuru
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$279 KES 36.2K
$797 COP 2.5M
-64.98%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.3K KES 1.6M
$9,112 COP 28.7M
34.93%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nakuru
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$28.16 KES 3,657
$84.7 COP 266.5K
-66.76%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.49 KES 3,700
$58.0 COP 182.3K
-50.85%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$70.0 KES 9,085
$135 COP 424.6K
-48.16%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$58.0 KES 7,537
$97.9 COP 307.9K
-40.70%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nakuru
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$227 KES 29.5K
$1,208 COP 3.8M
-81.18%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$136 KES 17.7K
$642 COP 2.0M
-78.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$536 KES 69.5K
$2,028 COP 6.4M
-73.59%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$190 KES 24.7K
$1,012 COP 3.2M
-81.23%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$4,170 COP 13.1M
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$1,910 COP 6.0M
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nakuru
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$657 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 Nakuru: October 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Nakuru
$200
Medellin
$297 48.6% $97
Accommodation & Living
Nakuru
$136
Medellin
$642 370% $505
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nakuru
$105
Medellin
$211 101% $106
Eating Out
Nakuru
$93
Medellin
$170 82.9% $77
Clothing & Footwear
Nakuru
$83
Medellin
$169 103% $86
Sport & Entertainment
Nakuru
$16 *
Medellin
$58 264% $42
Getting Around
Nakuru
$9.1 *
Medellin
$94 931% $84

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $227 in Nakuru 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $35 in Nakuru versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $200 vs $297 – making Nakuru the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇰🇪 Nakuru
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
00:50 12:50 AM
16:50 4:50 PM
8 h behind Nakuru
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
307,990
2,486,723
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to KES – Kenyan Shilling Converter

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 = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nakuru Medellin 12,410 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Nakuru
  • 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
Nakuru vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Nakuru cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 155%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $963 per month in Nakuru and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Nakuru, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $227 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.
Is eating out cheaper in Nakuru or in Medellin?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $35 in Nakuru and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Nakuru and in Medellin?
Groceries cost about 49% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is $1,200 a realistic budget for living in Nakuru or in Medellin?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Nakuru, where all-in costs run around $642, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Nakuru it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Nakuru or Medellin more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Nakuru – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Nakuru vs other spots: cost of living compared

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