Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Swakopmund and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Swakopmund: $558 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Swakopmund

🇳🇦 Namibia

$558

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $558 per month in Swakopmund vs $1,625 in Medellin, rent included.

Swakopmund $558
Medellin $1,625

A couple spends around $1,034 per month in Swakopmund vs $2,412 in Medellin, rent included.

Swakopmund $1,034
Medellin $2,412

A family of three spends $1,510 per month in Swakopmund vs $3,199 in Medellin, rent included.

Swakopmund $1,510
Medellin $3,199

Swakopmund is about 66% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Swakopmund sits 59% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.35 NAD 88.2

$8.30 COP 26.3K

-35.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.92 NAD 559

$46.91 COP 148.7K

-27.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.51 NAD 57.8

$9.24 COP 29.3K

-62.01%

Cappuccino

$1.68 NAD 27.68

$3.05 COP 9,676

-44.92%

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

$0.77 NAD 12.73

$1.80 COP 5,707

-57.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 NAD 9.47

$1.38 COP 4,382

-58.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.26 NAD 20.72

$3.24 COP 10.3K

-61.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 NAD 26.46

$5.56 COP 17.6K

-71.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.16 NAD 35.61

$1.50 COP 4,760

44.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.34 NAD 22.15

$2.37 COP 7,508

-43.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

Eggs

$2.21 NAD 36.47

$2.96 COP 9,379

-25.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.48 NAD 123

$10.22 COP 32.4K

-26.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 NAD 55.7

$4.13 COP 13.1K

-18.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 NAD 24.98

$1.53 COP 4,839

-0.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 NAD 32.54

$2.27 COP 7,194

-12.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

Wine (Bottle)

$7.71 NAD 127

$13.78 COP 43.7K

-44.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 NAD 9.80

$1.66 COP 5,256

-64.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.22 NAD 482

$78.2 COP 248.0K

-62.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 NAD 12.91

$1.28 COP 4,044

-39.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 NAD 14.88

$2.15 COP 6,803

-58.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.18 NAD 118

$8.37 COP 26.5K

-14.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 NAD 20.24

$1.35 COP 4,288

-8.89%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

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

$52.1 NAD 859

$167 COP 528.4K

-68.71%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

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

$790 COP 2.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.1 NAD 1,138

$98.9 COP 313.5K

-30.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$404 NAD 6,654

$1,028 COP 3.3M

-60.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$232 NAD 3,816

$620 COP 2.0M

-62.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$841 NAD 13.8K

$1,881 COP 6.0M

-55.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$690 NAD 11.4K

$1,008 COP 3.2M

-31.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Swakopmund: October 19, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Swakopmund

–

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Groceries & Markets

Swakopmund

–

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Swakopmund

–

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Clothing & Footwear

Swakopmund

–

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Eating Out

Swakopmund

–

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Getting Around

Swakopmund

–

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Sport & Entertainment

Swakopmund

–

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $404 in Swakopmund versus $1,028 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 Swakopmund versus $47.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $121 vs $298 – making Swakopmund the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇦 Swakopmund

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

19:48 7:48 PM

12:48 12:48 PM

7 h behind Swakopmund

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

25,000

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Namibian Dollar NAD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 NAD = 6.07 USD

100 NAD = 5.4 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to NAD – Namibian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇦 Namibian Dollar ($)

Namibian Dollar exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 16.48 NAD (100 NAD = 6.07 USD). 1 EUR = 18.52 NAD (100 NAD = 5.4 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 23, 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 NAD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Swakopmund Medellin 10,290 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Swakopmund
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

Swakopmund vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 191%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $838 per month in Swakopmund and $2,437 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Swakopmund, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 168% less in Swakopmund. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 147% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Swakopmund, where all-in costs run around $558, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Swakopmund it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Swakopmund. 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.