Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Stellenbosch and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Stellenbosch: $1,165 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

56

Cost of Living Index in Stellenbosch
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Stellenbosch Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Stellenbosch

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,165

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,165 per month in Stellenbosch vs $1,614 in Medellin, rent included.

Stellenbosch $1,165
Medellin $1,614

A couple spends around $1,913 per month in Stellenbosch vs $2,402 in Medellin, rent included.

Stellenbosch $1,913
Medellin $2,402

A family of three spends $2,660 per month in Stellenbosch vs $3,190 in Medellin, rent included.

Stellenbosch $2,660
Medellin $3,190

Stellenbosch is about 28% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Stellenbosch sits 14% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.29 R 120

$7.93 COP 25.2K

-8.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.82 R 590

$46.13 COP 146.3K

-22.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.72 R 77.8

$9.50 COP 30.1K

-50.32%

Cappuccino

$2.05 R 33.74

$3.11 COP 9,866

-34.08%

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

$1.00 R 16.52

$1.83 COP 5,800

-45.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 R 12.67

$1.38 COP 4,360

-44.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.70 R 44.51

$3.05 COP 9,672

-11.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 R 50.7

$5.50 COP 17.4K

-44.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 R 22.16

$1.45 COP 4,600

-7.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.14 R 18.85

$2.36 COP 7,496

-51.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.86 R 30.68

$1.68 COP 5,328

10.71%

Eggs

$2.84 R 46.86

$2.86 COP 9,077

-0.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.62 R 142

$10.19 COP 32.3K

-15.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 R 95.6

$9.53 COP 30.2K

-39.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.51 R 124

$14.04 COP 44.5K

-46.51%

Apples (1kg)

$1.74 R 28.67

$4.07 COP 12.9K

-57.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 R 24.14

$1.50 COP 4,742

-2.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.69 R 27.78

$2.17 COP 6,891

-22.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 R 26.17

$2.31 COP 7,310

-31.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.09 R 17.89

$1.93 COP 6,113

-43.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 R 25.17

$1.64 COP 5,196

-6.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 R 21.50

$1.13 COP 3,571

15.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 R 19.36

$1.25 COP 3,954

-6.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.52 R 58.1

$3.99 COP 12.6K

-11.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.17 R 102

$13.35 COP 42.3K

-53.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 R 21.93

$1.70 COP 5,384

-21.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 R 35.91

$2.37 COP 7,525

-8.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.61 R 10.10

$1.32 COP 4,179

-53.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 R 25.56

$2.14 COP 6,774

-27.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.02 R 82.7

$8.47 COP 26.8K

-40.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 R 23.05

$1.30 COP 4,114

7.69%

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

$35.0K R 577.2K

$28.0K COP 88.7M

25.17%

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

$31.0K R 510.9K

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-12.44%

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

$103 R 1,691

$172 COP 545.6K

-40.36%

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

$28.53 R 470

$13.37 COP 42.4K

113.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 R 565

$28.73 COP 91.1K

19.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.25 R 482

$45.24 COP 143.5K

-35.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.81 R 277

$17.04 COP 54.0K

-1.35%

Cinema Ticket

$8.89 R 146

$6.28 COP 19.9K

41.56%

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

$264 R 4,351

$770 COP 2.4M

-65.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,389 R 39.4K

$9,011 COP 28.6M

-73.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.1 R 858

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-39.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.72 R 473

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-49.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$118 R 1,951

$137 COP 432.9K

-13.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.2 R 1,486

$97.9 COP 310.4K

-7.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$698 R 11.5K

$1,055 COP 3.3M

-33.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$488 R 8,038

$616 COP 2.0M

-20.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,443 R 23.8K

$1,892 COP 6.0M

-23.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 R 19.0K

$1,023 COP 3.2M

12.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,556 R 42.1K

$652 COP 2.1M

291.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.7

10.94

-2.19%

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

Last update for Stellenbosch: October 12, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Stellenbosch

$488 41.9%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 26.2% $128

Groceries & Markets

Stellenbosch

$202 17.4%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 45.7% $92

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Stellenbosch

$165 14.2%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 29.5% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Stellenbosch

$130 11.2%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 30.6% $40

Eating Out

Stellenbosch

$124 10.6%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 36% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Stellenbosch

$47 4%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 22.9% $11

Getting Around

Stellenbosch

$8.4 * 0.7%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 1015% $85

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $698 in Stellenbosch 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 292% higher in Stellenbosch, 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 $36.00 in Stellenbosch versus $46.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $202 vs $295 – making Stellenbosch the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Stellenbosch

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

09:12 9:12 AM

02:12 2:12 AM

7 h behind Stellenbosch

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,068

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 18, 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 18, 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 →

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Between locations

Stellenbosch Medellin 10,810 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Stellenbosch
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

Stellenbosch vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 39%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,748 per month in Stellenbosch 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 Stellenbosch, 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 $36.00 in Stellenbosch and $46.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 46% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Stellenbosch, where all-in costs run around $1,165, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Stellenbosch it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Stellenbosch – 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 Stellenbosch. 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.