Cost of Living Comparison Between Soweto and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Soweto and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,015 per month in Soweto vs $1,003 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,552 per month in Soweto vs $1,573 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,089 per month in Soweto vs $2,143 in Medellin, rent included.

Soweto costs about 1% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Soweto and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – Soweto 24% lower, Medellin 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 R 138

$5.91 COP 18.9K

40.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.15 R 569

$32.96 COP 105.2K

3.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.67 R 77.9

$7.43 COP 23.7K

-37.15%

Cappuccino

$2.09 R 34.75

$1.65 COP 5,276

26.67%

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

$0.99 R 16.43

$1.10 COP 3,514

-10.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 R 13.76

$0.78 COP 2,491

6.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.30 R 38.37

$1.72 COP 5,484

33.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 R 48.03

$3.18 COP 10.1K

-9.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 R 19.24

$1.10 COP 3,521

5.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 R 17.12

$1.26 COP 4,015

-18.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 R 27.08

$1.38 COP 4,407

18.12%

Eggs

$2.51 R 41.79

$2.18 COP 6,950

15.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.74 R 129

$4.49 COP 14.3K

72.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.66 R 77.7

$5.79 COP 18.5K

-19.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.51 R 108

$8.97 COP 28.6K

-27.42%

Apples (1kg)

$1.61 R 26.86

$2.32 COP 7,405

-30.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 R 25.18

$1.06 COP 3,397

42.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 R 25.48

$1.52 COP 4,838

0.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 R 26.71

$1.36 COP 4,327

17.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 R 22.57

$1.13 COP 3,599

20.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 R 19.54

$1.17 COP 3,738

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 R 17.63

$0.90 COP 2,876

17.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 R 15.77

$0.90 COP 2,861

5.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.84 R 47.32

$2.23 COP 7,128

27.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.15 R 85.9

$12.12 COP 38.7K

-57.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 R 22.36

$1.19 COP 3,793

12.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 R 26.82

$2.48 COP 7,920

-35.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.68 R 27.95

$0.85 COP 2,723

97.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 132.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.14 R 18.97

$1.42 COP 4,518

-19.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.93 R 15.50

$1.95 COP 6,223

-52.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 R 50.4

$7.89 COP 25.2K

-61.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 R 20.22

$0.99 COP 3,160

22.22%

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

$19.5K R 324.7K

$17.6K COP 56.2M

10.73%

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

$23.7K R 394.8K

$26.8K COP 85.5M

-11.55%

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

$119 R 1,988

$83.0 COP 264.9K

43.77%

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

$36.92 R 615

$9.70 COP 30.9K

280.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.50 R 625

$23.52 COP 75.0K

59.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.52 R 525

$25.26 COP 80.6K

24.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 COP 60.9K

Cinema Ticket

$7.43 R 124

$3.95 COP 12.6K

88.10%

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

$196 R 3,263

$316 COP 1.0M

-37.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,332 R 72.2K

$5,975 COP 19.1M

-27.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.4 R 855

$60.0 COP 191.4K

-14.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.16 R 536

$31.82 COP 101.5K

1.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 R 1,439

$102 COP 324.4K

-15.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.6 R 1,325

$107 COP 342.8K

-25.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$361 R 6,006

$475 COP 1.5M

-24.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$332 R 5,526

$374 COP 1.2M

-11.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$673 R 11.2K

$849 COP 2.7M

-20.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$696 R 11.6K

$719 COP 2.3M

-3.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$947 R 15.8K

$3,265 COP 10.4M

-71.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$734 R 12.2K

$1,441 COP 4.6M

-49.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.51

13.43

-14.30%

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

Last update for Soweto: July 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $361 in Soweto versus $475 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $34.00 in Soweto versus $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $178 in Soweto vs $193 in Medellin – so Soweto 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

Soweto vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Soweto is pricier by about 1%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,522 per month in Soweto and $1,504 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 $34.00 in Soweto and $33.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 9% cheaper in Soweto – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,003, than in Soweto at $1,015. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Soweto 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, Soweto makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.