Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Somerset West and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Somerset West: $1,160 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

56

Cost of Living Index in Somerset West
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Somerset West Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Somerset West

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,160

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,160 per month in Somerset West vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Somerset West $1,160
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $1,888 per month in Somerset West vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Somerset West $1,888
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $2,615 per month in Somerset West vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Somerset West $2,615
Medellin $3,186

Somerset West is about 29% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Somerset West sits 15% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.23 R 204

$8.09 COP 25.4K

51.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$45.52 R 759

$47.05 COP 148.0K

-3.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.44 R 90.7

$9.50 COP 29.9K

-42.74%

Cappuccino

$2.06 R 34.34

$3.01 COP 9,485

-31.56%

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

$1.06 R 17.74

$1.80 COP 5,660

-41.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 R 14.01

$1.41 COP 4,443

-40.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.58 R 42.91

$3.18 COP 9,990

-18.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 R 54.5

$5.75 COP 18.1K

-43.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 R 17.13

$1.51 COP 4,751

-31.79%

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 R 16.39

$2.38 COP 7,480

-58.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.08 R 34.70

$1.77 COP 5,573

17.51%

Eggs

$2.28 R 38.00

$2.89 COP 9,093

-21.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.34 R 139

$10.19 COP 32.1K

-18.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.18 R 86.3

$9.87 COP 31.1K

-47.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.22 R 154

$13.99 COP 44.0K

-34.10%

Apples (1kg)

$1.81 R 30.23

$3.97 COP 12.5K

-54.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 R 31.47

$1.55 COP 4,883

21.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.74 R 29.00

$2.18 COP 6,867

-20.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.69 R 28.20

$2.18 COP 6,870

-22.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 R 25.23

$1.96 COP 6,174

-22.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 R 25.48

$1.59 COP 5,000

-3.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 R 21.42

$1.15 COP 3,604

12.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 R 17.80

$1.24 COP 3,911

-13.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.39 R 56.5

$3.96 COP 12.5K

-14.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.89 R 98.1

$13.68 COP 43.0K

-56.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 R 22.73

$1.66 COP 5,221

-18.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 R 29.17

$2.26 COP 7,103

-22.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.11 R 18.47

$1.17 COP 3,674

-5.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.4 R 1,007

$77.4 COP 243.4K

-21.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.59 R 9.81

$1.27 COP 3,989

-53.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 R 25.72

$2.05 COP 6,442

-24.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.94 R 82.4

$8.55 COP 26.9K

-42.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 R 23.68

$1.35 COP 4,237

5.19%

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

$29.3K R 487.5K

$34.1K COP 107.2M

-14.12%

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

$29.4K R 489.1K

$34.7K COP 109.1M

-15.33%

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

$82.1 R 1,368

$170 COP 533.7K

-51.62%

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

$29.05 R 484

$13.55 COP 42.6K

114.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.47 R 674

$28.07 COP 88.3K

44.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.16 R 736

$43.70 COP 137.5K

1.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.43 R 174

$17.19 COP 54.1K

-39.33%

Cinema Ticket

$7.28 R 121

$6.91 COP 21.7K

5.35%

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

$251 R 4,175

$797 COP 2.5M

-68.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,596 R 59.9K

$9,112 COP 28.7M

-60.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.99 R 516

$84.7 COP 266.5K

-63.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.32 R 522

$58.0 COP 182.3K

-45.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.3 R 1,189

$135 COP 424.6K

-47.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$56.3 R 939

$97.9 COP 307.9K

-42.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$643 R 10.7K

$1,208 COP 3.8M

-46.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$426 R 7,095

$642 COP 2.0M

-33.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 R 22.3K

$2,028 COP 6.4M

-33.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$937 R 15.6K

$1,012 COP 3.2M

-7.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,221 R 20.3K

$4,170 COP 13.1M

-70.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$892 R 14.9K

$1,910 COP 6.0M

-53.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,418 R 23.6K

$657 COP 2.1M

115.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.12

10.94

-7.50%

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

Last update for Somerset West: 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

Somerset West

$426 36.7%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 50.7% $216

Groceries & Markets

Somerset West

$200 17.2%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 48.8% $97

Eating Out

Somerset West

$166 14.3%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 2.2% $3.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Somerset West

$152 13.1%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 39.4% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Somerset West

$86 7.4%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 97.6% $83

Getting Around

Somerset West

$73 6.3%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 27.9% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Somerset West

$59 5.1%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 2% $1.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $643 in Somerset West 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 in Somerset West are about 2.2 times higher, 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 $46 in Somerset West versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $200 vs $297 – making Somerset West the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Somerset West

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

21:04 9:04 PM

14:04 2:04 PM

7 h behind Somerset West

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

55,166

2,486,723

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6 USD

100 ZAR = 5.39 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 = 16.66 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6 USD). 1 EUR = 18.55 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Somerset West Medellin 10,810 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Somerset West
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

Somerset West vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 41%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,740 per month in Somerset West 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 Somerset West, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $643 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Public transport costs about 22% less in Somerset West. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 49% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,160 in Somerset West and $1,639 in Medellin, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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