Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Elizabeth and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Elizabeth: $1,216 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

59

Cost of Living Index in Port Elizabeth
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Port Elizabeth Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Port Elizabeth

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,216

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,216 per month in Port Elizabeth vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

Port Elizabeth $1,216
Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $1,835 per month in Port Elizabeth vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

Port Elizabeth $1,835
Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $2,453 per month in Port Elizabeth vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

Port Elizabeth $2,453
Medellin $3,190

Port Elizabeth is about 25% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Port Elizabeth sits 10% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.00 R 181

$7.93 COP 25.2K

38.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.67 R 687

$46.13 COP 146.3K

-9.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.84 R 96.2

$9.50 COP 30.1K

-38.53%

Cappuccino

$2.17 R 35.81

$3.11 COP 9,866

-30.23%

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

$1.03 R 16.91

$1.83 COP 5,800

-43.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 R 12.59

$1.38 COP 4,360

-44.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.69 R 44.37

$3.05 COP 9,672

-11.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 R 53.3

$5.50 COP 17.4K

-41.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 R 18.39

$1.45 COP 4,600

-22.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 R 17.20

$2.36 COP 7,496

-55.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.94

$1.68 COP 5,328

-10.12%

Eggs

$2.81 R 46.35

$2.86 COP 9,077

-1.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.58 R 141

$10.19 COP 32.3K

-15.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.33 R 87.7

$9.53 COP 30.2K

-44.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.36 R 138

$14.04 COP 44.5K

-40.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.19 R 36.04

$4.07 COP 12.9K

-46.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.58

$1.50 COP 4,742

-0.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.70 R 28.04

$2.17 COP 6,891

-21.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.81 R 29.74

$2.31 COP 7,310

-21.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 R 27.41

$1.93 COP 6,113

-13.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.45 R 23.83

$1.64 COP 5,196

-11.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 R 20.72

$1.13 COP 3,571

11.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 R 16.39

$1.25 COP 3,954

-20.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.26 R 53.8

$3.99 COP 12.6K

-18.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.82 R 79.4

$13.35 COP 42.3K

-63.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 R 20.99

$1.70 COP 5,384

-25.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 R 30.00

$2.37 COP 7,525

-23.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.10 R 18.17

$1.21 COP 3,827

-9.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$36.67 R 604

$76.5 COP 242.5K

-52.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 R 33.68

$1.32 COP 4,179

54.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.50 R 8.25

$2.14 COP 6,774

-76.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.45 R 139

$8.47 COP 26.8K

-0.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 R 24.38

$1.30 COP 4,114

13.85%

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

$35.8K R 589.5K

$28.0K COP 88.7M

27.84%

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

$34.1K R 562.5K

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-3.59%

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

$125 R 2,058

$172 COP 545.6K

-27.41%

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

$34.90 R 575

$13.37 COP 42.4K

161.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.55 R 734

$28.73 COP 91.1K

55.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.20 R 530

$45.24 COP 143.5K

-28.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.27 R 383

$17.04 COP 54.0K

36.56%

Cinema Ticket

$10.74 R 177

$6.28 COP 19.9K

71.02%

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

$177 R 2,924

$770 COP 2.4M

-76.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,046 R 99.6K

$9,011 COP 28.6M

-32.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.4 R 1,193

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-16.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.28 R 631

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-32.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 R 1,806

$137 COP 432.9K

-19.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.6 R 1,574

$97.9 COP 310.4K

-2.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$598 R 9,859

$1,055 COP 3.3M

-43.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$415 R 6,838

$616 COP 2.0M

-32.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$808 R 13.3K

$1,892 COP 6.0M

-57.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$682 R 11.2K

$1,023 COP 3.2M

-33.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$764 R 12.6K

$4,059 COP 12.9M

-81.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$522 R 8,604

$1,678 COP 5.3M

-68.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,625 R 26.8K

$652 COP 2.1M

149.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.94

10.94

9.14%

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

Last update for Port Elizabeth: October 13, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Port Elizabeth

$415 34.1%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 48.4% $201

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port Elizabeth

$204 16.8%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 4.8% $9.8

Groceries & Markets

Port Elizabeth

$197 16.2%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 49.9% $98

Eating Out

Port Elizabeth

$159 13.1%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 6.1% $9.7

Clothing & Footwear

Port Elizabeth

$142 11.7%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 19.6% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Port Elizabeth

$54 4.4%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 7.7% $4.1

Getting Around

Port Elizabeth

$46 3.8%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 105% $48

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $598 in Port Elizabeth 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 149% higher in Port Elizabeth, 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 $42.00 in Port Elizabeth versus $46.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $197 vs $295 – making Port Elizabeth the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Port Elizabeth

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

13:36 1:36 PM

06:36 6:36 AM

7 h behind Port Elizabeth

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,050,000

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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Between locations

Port Elizabeth Medellin 11,430 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Port Elizabeth
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

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

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 33%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,824 per month in Port Elizabeth 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 Port Elizabeth, 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 $42.00 in Port Elizabeth 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 $1,216 in Port Elizabeth and $1,614 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 33%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Port Elizabeth, where all-in costs run around $1,216, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Port Elizabeth it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Port Elizabeth – 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 Port Elizabeth. 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.