Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Polokwane and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Polokwane: $959 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Polokwane
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Polokwane Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Polokwane

🇿🇦 South Africa

$959

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $959 per month in Polokwane vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

Polokwane $959
Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $1,417 per month in Polokwane vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

Polokwane $1,417
Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $1,875 per month in Polokwane vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

Polokwane $1,875
Medellin $3,190

Polokwane is about 41% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Polokwane sits 29% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.24 R 202

$7.93 COP 25.2K

54.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.66 R 489

$46.13 COP 146.3K

-35.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.46 R 123

$9.50 COP 30.1K

-21.47%

Cappuccino

$2.38 R 39.26

$3.11 COP 9,866

-23.47%

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

$0.77 R 12.68

$1.83 COP 5,800

-57.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 R 14.47

$1.38 COP 4,360

-36.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 R 27.65

$3.05 COP 9,672

-44.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 R 30.95

$5.50 COP 17.4K

-65.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 R 21.71

$1.45 COP 4,600

-8.97%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 R 17.82

$2.36 COP 7,496

-54.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 R 28.03

$1.68 COP 5,328

1.19%

Eggs

$2.65 R 43.69

$2.86 COP 9,077

-7.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.84 R 129

$10.19 COP 32.3K

-23.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.59 R 75.6

$9.53 COP 30.2K

-51.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.04 R 99.6

$14.04 COP 44.5K

-56.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.01 R 33.19

$4.07 COP 12.9K

-50.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 R 30.53

$1.50 COP 4,742

23.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.81 R 29.80

$2.17 COP 6,891

-16.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 R 32.30

$2.31 COP 7,310

-15.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 R 27.49

$1.93 COP 6,113

-13.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 R 24.73

$1.64 COP 5,196

-8.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 R 18.48

$1.13 COP 3,571

-0.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 R 13.46

$1.25 COP 3,954

-34.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.68 R 44.22

$3.99 COP 12.6K

-32.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.87 R 80.2

$13.35 COP 42.3K

-63.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 R 18.88

$1.70 COP 5,384

-32.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 R 26.54

$2.37 COP 7,525

-32.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.92 R 15.22

$1.21 COP 3,827

-23.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.03 R 495

$76.5 COP 242.5K

-60.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.87 R 14.41

$1.32 COP 4,179

-34.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.95 R 15.66

$2.14 COP 6,774

-55.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.36 R 237

$8.47 COP 26.8K

69.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 R 23.52

$1.30 COP 4,114

10.00%

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

$26.1K R 430.1K

$28.0K COP 88.7M

-6.73%

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

$28.5K R 469.0K

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-19.62%

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

$138 R 2,281

$172 COP 545.6K

-19.54%

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

$38.10 R 628

$13.37 COP 42.4K

184.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.99 R 544

$28.73 COP 91.1K

14.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.29 R 384

$45.24 COP 143.5K

-48.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$8.00 R 132

$6.28 COP 19.9K

27.39%

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

$179 R 2,946

$770 COP 2.4M

-76.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,452 R 23.9K

$9,011 COP 28.6M

-83.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.30 R 746

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-47.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.73 R 622

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-33.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.6 R 1,328

$137 COP 432.9K

-40.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.7 R 1,544

$97.9 COP 310.4K

-4.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$290 R 4,785

$1,055 COP 3.3M

-72.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$203 R 3,338

$616 COP 2.0M

-67.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$420 R 6,922

$1,892 COP 6.0M

-77.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$284 R 4,683

$1,023 COP 3.2M

-72.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,343 R 22.1K

$652 COP 2.1M

105.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.91

10.94

-0.27%

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

Last update for Polokwane: October 12, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Polokwane

$210 21.8%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 2.2% $4.6

Accommodation & Living

Polokwane

$203 21.1%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 204% $413

Groceries & Markets

Polokwane

$185 19.3%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 59.1% $109

Eating Out

Polokwane

$168 17.5%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 0.4% $0.8

Clothing & Footwear

Polokwane

$116 12.1%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 46.8% $54

Getting Around

Polokwane

$39 4.1%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 137% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Polokwane

$39 4.1%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 47.1% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $290 in Polokwane 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 106% higher in Polokwane, 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 $30.00 in Polokwane versus $46.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $185 vs $295 – making Polokwane the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Polokwane

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

19:12 7:12 PM

12:12 12:12 PM

7 h behind Polokwane

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

628,999

2,486,723

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.07 USD

100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.4 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 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 ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Polokwane Medellin 11,820 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Polokwane
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

Polokwane vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 68%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,439 per month in Polokwane 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 Polokwane, 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 $30.00 in Polokwane 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 $959 in Polokwane and $1,614 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 68%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Polokwane, where all-in costs run around $959, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Polokwane it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Polokwane – 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 Polokwane. 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.