Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Elizabeth and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Elizabeth and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,158 per month in Port Elizabeth vs $1,013 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,839 per month in Port Elizabeth vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,519 per month in Port Elizabeth vs $2,192 in Medellin, rent included.

Port Elizabeth costs about 14% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Port Elizabeth and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – Port Elizabeth 14% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.00 R 146

$5.99 COP 21.4K

50.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.72 R 727

$32.86 COP 117.4K

36.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.30 R 86.2

$7.09 COP 25.3K

-25.25%

Cappuccino

$2.23 R 36.16

$1.71 COP 6,115

30.41%

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

$1.17 R 19.08

$1.10 COP 3,924

6.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.04 R 16.83

$0.78 COP 2,781

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.50 R 40.57

$1.68 COP 5,997

48.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 R 47.99

$3.07 COP 11.0K

-3.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 R 18.12

$1.09 COP 3,906

2.75%

White Bread (500g)

$0.93 R 15.13

$1.26 COP 4,508

-26.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 R 23.17

$1.38 COP 4,922

3.62%

Eggs

$2.49 R 40.42

$2.19 COP 7,827

13.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.86 R 128

$4.40 COP 15.7K

78.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.86 R 79.0

$5.63 COP 20.1K

-13.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.05 R 131

$8.89 COP 31.8K

-9.45%

Apples (1kg)

$1.68 R 27.26

$2.34 COP 8,349

-28.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 R 22.98

$1.06 COP 3,777

33.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 R 25.81

$1.50 COP 5,374

6.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 R 26.34

$1.38 COP 4,924

17.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.50 R 24.31

$1.15 COP 4,111

30.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 R 18.10

$1.16 COP 4,155

-4.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 R 19.37

$0.89 COP 3,182

33.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.93 R 15.05

$0.84 COP 2,997

10.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.96 R 48.15

$2.28 COP 8,145

29.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.00 R 81.2

$10.64 COP 38.0K

-53.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 R 18.88

$1.20 COP 4,284

-3.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 R 27.87

$2.47 COP 8,824

-30.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.09 R 17.79

$0.86 COP 3,056

26.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.50 R 561

$41.40 COP 147.9K

-16.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 R 43.49

$1.47 COP 5,264

82.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.44 R 7.22

$1.96 COP 7,009

-77.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.04 R 131

$7.74 COP 27.6K

3.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 R 20.92

$0.95 COP 3,409

35.79%

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

$23.5K R 382.4K

$18.1K COP 64.7M

29.80%

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

$25.5K R 413.8K

$26.5K COP 94.6M

-3.86%

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

$118 R 1,913

$82.3 COP 293.7K

43.15%

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

$32.46 R 527

$9.50 COP 33.9K

241.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.22 R 719

$24.23 COP 86.5K

82.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$28.98 R 471

$25.89 COP 92.4K

11.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.80 R 338

$19.00 COP 67.9K

9.47%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 R 155

$3.93 COP 14.0K

142.24%

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

$164 R 2,661

$309 COP 1.1M

-47.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,714 R 76.6K

$5,965 COP 21.3M

-20.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.6 R 1,083

$58.7 COP 209.5K

13.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.40 R 608

$32.35 COP 115.5K

15.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.8 R 1,524

$103 COP 366.4K

-8.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.5 R 1,471

$108 COP 387.2K

-16.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$587 R 9,532

$476 COP 1.7M

23.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 R 7,276

$379 COP 1.4M

18.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,115 R 18.1K

$838 COP 3.0M

33.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$871 R 14.2K

$724 COP 2.6M

20.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$776 R 12.6K

$2,791 COP 10.0M

-72.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$545 R 8,864

$1,211 COP 4.3M

-54.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,620 R 26.3K

$512 COP 1.8M

216.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.04

13.43

-10.35%

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

Last update for Port Elizabeth: May 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $587 in Port Elizabeth versus $476 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 217% higher in Port Elizabeth, 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 $45.00 in Port Elizabeth versus $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $181 in Port Elizabeth vs $188 in Medellin – so Port Elizabeth wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Port Elizabeth vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Port Elizabeth is pricier by about 14%, and the gap shows up most in Monthly Utilities & Internet. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,737 per month in Port Elizabeth and $1,519 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, 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 $45.00 in Port Elizabeth and $33.00 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 $1,158 in Port Elizabeth and $1,013 in Medellin. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,013, than in Port Elizabeth at $1,158. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Port Elizabeth it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Medellin – 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 Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Port Elizabeth makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.