Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pietermaritzburg and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Pietermaritzburg: $1,033 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Pietermaritzburg
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Pietermaritzburg Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Pietermaritzburg

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,033

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,033 per month in Pietermaritzburg vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Pietermaritzburg $1,033
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $1,555 per month in Pietermaritzburg vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Pietermaritzburg $1,555
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $2,077 per month in Pietermaritzburg vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Pietermaritzburg $2,077
Medellin $3,186

Pietermaritzburg is about 37% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Pietermaritzburg sits 24% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.74 R 129

$8.09 COP 25.4K

-4.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.63 R 593

$47.05 COP 148.0K

-24.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.80 R 96.4

$9.50 COP 29.9K

-38.95%

Cappuccino

$2.36 R 39.21

$3.01 COP 9,485

-21.59%

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

$1.16 R 19.37

$1.80 COP 5,660

-35.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 R 17.12

$1.41 COP 4,443

-26.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.15 R 35.72

$3.18 COP 9,990

-32.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 R 41.69

$5.75 COP 18.1K

-56.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 R 22.13

$1.51 COP 4,751

-11.92%

White Bread (500g)

$0.92 R 15.30

$2.38 COP 7,480

-61.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 R 28.26

$1.77 COP 5,573

-3.95%

Eggs

$3.16 R 52.6

$2.89 COP 9,093

9.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.22 R 120

$10.19 COP 32.1K

-29.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.94 R 82.1

$9.87 COP 31.1K

-49.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.36 R 106

$13.99 COP 44.0K

-54.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.04 R 33.94

$3.97 COP 12.5K

-48.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 R 32.23

$1.55 COP 4,883

25.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 R 38.68

$2.18 COP 6,867

6.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.03 R 33.85

$2.18 COP 6,870

-6.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 R 29.63

$1.96 COP 6,174

-9.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 R 30.04

$1.59 COP 5,000

13.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 R 24.74

$1.15 COP 3,604

29.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 R 17.26

$1.24 COP 3,911

-16.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.14 R 52.2

$3.96 COP 12.5K

-20.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$3.92 R 65.3

$13.68 COP 43.0K

-71.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 R 23.66

$1.66 COP 5,222

-14.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 R 29.16

$2.26 COP 7,104

-22.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.86 R 47.62

$1.17 COP 3,674

144.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.71 R 328

$77.4 COP 243.4K

-74.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.59 R 26.48

$1.27 COP 3,989

25.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.06 R 17.66

$2.05 COP 6,442

-48.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 R 23.92

$1.35 COP 4,237

6.67%

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

$26.5K R 441.6K

$34.1K COP 107.2M

-22.08%

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

$26.8K R 445.6K

$34.7K COP 109.1M

-22.75%

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

$205 R 3,410

$170 COP 533.7K

20.82%

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

$32.46 R 540

$13.55 COP 42.6K

139.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.19 R 619

$28.07 COP 88.3K

32.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.80 R 729

$43.70 COP 137.5K

0.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.05 R 50.8

$17.19 COP 54.1K

-82.26%

Cinema Ticket

$4.84 R 80.5

$6.91 COP 21.7K

-29.96%

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

$177 R 2,945

$797 COP 2.5M

-77.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,103 R 84.9K

$9,112 COP 28.7M

-44.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.7 R 943

$84.7 COP 266.5K

-33.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.35 R 572

$58.0 COP 182.3K

-40.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 R 1,894

$135 COP 424.6K

-15.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.9 R 1,163

$97.9 COP 307.9K

-28.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$216 R 3,601

$1,208 COP 3.8M

-82.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$217 R 3,607

$642 COP 2.0M

-66.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$576 R 9,583

$2,028 COP 6.4M

-71.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$405 R 6,742

$1,012 COP 3.2M

-59.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,914 R 98.4K

$4,170 COP 13.1M

41.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$148 R 2,466

$1,910 COP 6.0M

-92.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,058 R 17.6K

$657 COP 2.1M

60.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.67

10.94

6.67%

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

Last update for Pietermaritzburg: October 24, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pietermaritzburg

$275 26.6%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 23.1% $63

Accommodation & Living

Pietermaritzburg

$217 21%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 196% $425

Groceries & Markets

Pietermaritzburg

$194 18.8%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 52.7% $103

Eating Out

Pietermaritzburg

$132 12.8%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 28.4% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Pietermaritzburg

$124 12%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 36.6% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Pietermaritzburg

$53 5.2%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 7.6% $4.1

Getting Around

Pietermaritzburg

$38 3.7%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 146% $55

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $216 in Pietermaritzburg 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 61% higher in Pietermaritzburg, 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 Pietermaritzburg versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $194 vs $297 – making Pietermaritzburg the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Pietermaritzburg

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

13:59 1:59 PM

06:59 6:59 AM

7 h behind Pietermaritzburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

618,536

2,486,723

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.01 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 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 October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 16.64 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.01 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 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 ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Pietermaritzburg Medellin 11,890 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Pietermaritzburg
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

Pietermaritzburg vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 59%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,550 per month in Pietermaritzburg 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 Pietermaritzburg, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $216 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $36 in Pietermaritzburg 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 $1,033 in Pietermaritzburg and $1,639 in Medellin. That’s a gap of about 59%.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,033 in Pietermaritzburg and $1,639 in Medellin, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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

For expats, Pietermaritzburg is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 59% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.