Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rustenburg and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Rustenburg: $797 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Rustenburg
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Rustenburg Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index

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Rustenburg

🇿🇦 South Africa

$797

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $797 per month in Rustenburg vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Rustenburg $797
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $1,316 per month in Rustenburg vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Rustenburg $1,316
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $1,834 per month in Rustenburg vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Rustenburg $1,834
Medellin $3,186

Rustenburg is about 51% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Rustenburg sits 41% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.87 R 81.3

$8.09 COP 26.1K

-39.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.11 R 754

$47.05 COP 151.7K

-4.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.22 R 104

$9.50 COP 30.6K

-34.53%

Cappuccino

$1.66 R 27.75

$3.01 COP 9,722

-44.85%

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

$1.02 R 17.03

$1.80 COP 5,801

-43.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.50 R 8.38

$1.41 COP 4,554

-64.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.48 R 24.77

$3.18 COP 10.2K

-53.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 R 35.57

$5.75 COP 18.5K

-62.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 R 17.19

$1.51 COP 4,869

-31.79%

White Bread (500g)

$0.90 R 15.00

$2.38 COP 7,667

-62.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 R 28.40

$1.77 COP 5,712

-3.95%

Eggs

$2.61 R 43.60

$2.89 COP 9,320

-9.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.57 R 127

$10.19 COP 32.9K

-25.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.04 R 84.3

$9.87 COP 31.8K

-48.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.28 R 105

$13.99 COP 45.1K

-55.11%

Apples (1kg)

$1.78 R 29.73

$3.97 COP 12.8K

-55.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 R 26.20

$1.55 COP 5,005

1.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.80 R 30.00

$2.18 COP 7,039

-17.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.07 R 17.94

$2.18 COP 7,041

-50.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.31 R 21.94

$1.96 COP 6,328

-33.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 R 18.12

$1.59 COP 5,125

-32.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 R 22.34

$1.15 COP 3,694

16.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 R 14.34

$1.24 COP 4,009

-30.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.07 R 51.2

$3.96 COP 12.8K

-22.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.02 R 101

$13.68 COP 44.1K

-55.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 R 9.80

$1.66 COP 5,352

-64.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 R 15.34

$2.26 COP 7,281

-59.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,766

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.81 R 13.60

$1.27 COP 4,089

-36.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.89 R 14.86

$2.05 COP 6,603

-56.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.27 R 238

$8.55 COP 27.6K

66.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 R 24.16

$1.35 COP 4,343

7.41%

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

$31.6K R 527.3K

$34.1K COP 109.8M

-7.36%

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

$31.7K R 529.2K

$34.7K COP 111.8M

-8.65%

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

$76.1 R 1,271

$170 COP 547.0K

-55.17%

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

$13.47 R 225

$13.55 COP 43.7K

-0.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.07 R 619

$28.07 COP 90.5K

32.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.12 R 637

$43.70 COP 140.9K

-12.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.11 R 102

$17.19 COP 55.4K

-64.46%

Cinema Ticket

$4.90 R 81.9

$6.91 COP 22.3K

-29.09%

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

$110 R 1,842

$797 COP 2.6M

-86.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,453 R 91.1K

$9,112 COP 29.4M

-40.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.73 R 697

$84.7 COP 273.2K

-50.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.31 R 740

$58.0 COP 186.9K

-23.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 R 1,863

$135 COP 435.2K

-17.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$53.3 R 890

$97.9 COP 315.6K

-45.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$336 R 5,614

$1,208 COP 3.9M

-72.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$237 R 3,955

$642 COP 2.1M

-63.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$716 R 12.0K

$2,028 COP 6.5M

-64.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$515 R 8,609

$1,012 COP 3.3M

-49.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.4M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,065 R 17.8K

$657 COP 2.1M

62.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.9

10.94

-9.51%

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

Last update for Rustenburg: October 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rustenburg

$237 29.7%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 171% $405

Groceries & Markets

Rustenburg

$173 21.7%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 72% $124

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rustenburg

$127 15.9%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 66.9% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Rustenburg

$113 14.2%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 49.7% $56

Eating Out

Rustenburg

$95 12%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 78% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Rustenburg

$48 6%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 20.1% $9.6

Getting Around

Rustenburg

$5.3 * 0.7%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 1679% $88

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $336 in Rustenburg 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 62% higher in Rustenburg, 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 $45 in Rustenburg versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $173 vs $297 – making Rustenburg the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Rustenburg

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

19:33 7:33 PM

12:33 12:33 PM

7 h behind Rustenburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

549,575

2,486,723

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 5.99 USD

100 ZAR = 5.36 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 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 November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 16.71 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.99 USD). 1 EUR = 18.66 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.36 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Rustenburg Medellin 11,590 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Rustenburg
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

Rustenburg vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 106%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,196 per month in Rustenburg 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 Rustenburg, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $336 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in Rustenburg and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 72% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Rustenburg, where all-in costs run around $797, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Rustenburg it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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