Cost of Living Comparison Between Windhoek and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Windhoek and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,114 per month in Windhoek vs $1,017 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,806 per month in Windhoek vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,499 per month in Windhoek vs $2,188 in Medellin, rent included.

Windhoek costs about 10% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Windhoek and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – Windhoek 17% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.65 NAD 173

$5.95 COP 20.8K

78.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.09 NAD 636

$33.33 COP 116.3K

17.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.26 NAD 85.7

$7.23 COP 25.2K

-27.25%

Cappuccino

$1.88 NAD 30.57

$1.63 COP 5,687

15.34%

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

$0.96 NAD 15.66

$1.09 COP 3,821

-11.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 NAD 14.25

$0.73 COP 2,548

20.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.80 NAD 29.29

$1.74 COP 6,065

3.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 NAD 37.25

$3.23 COP 11.3K

-29.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 NAD 23.63

$1.05 COP 3,662

38.10%

White Bread (500g)

$0.88 NAD 14.32

$1.29 COP 4,515

-31.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 NAD 26.03

$1.32 COP 4,617

21.21%

Eggs

$2.90 NAD 47.13

$2.27 COP 7,927

27.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.24 NAD 102

$4.35 COP 15.2K

43.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.12 NAD 83.3

$5.88 COP 20.5K

-12.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.58 NAD 107

$8.61 COP 30.0K

-23.58%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 NAD 29.72

$2.25 COP 7,844

-18.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 NAD 32.29

$1.07 COP 3,733

85.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.64 NAD 26.66

$1.52 COP 5,322

7.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.76 NAD 28.59

$1.42 COP 4,964

23.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.97 NAD 32.07

$1.17 COP 4,084

68.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 NAD 29.54

$1.17 COP 4,077

55.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 NAD 31.42

$0.89 COP 3,096

116.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 NAD 18.05

$0.90 COP 3,146

23.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.87 NAD 46.67

$2.25 COP 7,837

27.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.97 NAD 113

$11.04 COP 38.5K

-36.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 NAD 21.71

$1.14 COP 3,977

16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 NAD 31.45

$2.38 COP 8,301

-18.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 NAD 12.03

$0.84 COP 2,916

-11.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.66 NAD 645

$41.95 COP 146.4K

-5.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 NAD 12.09

$1.41 COP 4,912

-47.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 NAD 11.85

$1.90 COP 6,634

-61.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.49 NAD 187

$7.75 COP 27.0K

48.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 NAD 19.82

$1.01 COP 3,509

20.79%

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

$21.2K NAD 344.7K

$17.6K COP 61.4M

20.49%

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

$24.3K NAD 395.9K

$26.5K COP 92.5M

-8.18%

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

$116 NAD 1,892

$83.7 COP 292.1K

38.95%

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

$18.10 NAD 294

$9.45 COP 33.0K

91.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.1 NAD 815

$24.11 COP 84.1K

107.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.51 NAD 611

$25.31 COP 88.3K

48.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.15 NAD 214

$19.14 COP 66.8K

-31.30%

Cinema Ticket

$5.32 NAD 86.6

$4.10 COP 14.3K

29.76%

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

$211 NAD 3,438

$312 COP 1.1M

-32.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,113 NAD 83.2K

$5,993 COP 20.9M

-14.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.0 NAD 846

$58.0 COP 202.6K

-10.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.69 NAD 434

$32.56 COP 113.6K

-18.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.2 NAD 1,418

$99.6 COP 347.7K

-12.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.5 NAD 1,326

$109 COP 378.8K

-24.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 NAD 7,931

$482 COP 1.7M

1.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$387 NAD 6,291

$379 COP 1.3M

1.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,261 NAD 20.5K

$837 COP 2.9M

50.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$925 NAD 15.0K

$723 COP 2.5M

27.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,635 NAD 26.6K

$2,840 COP 9.9M

-42.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$629 NAD 10.2K

$1,223 COP 4.3M

-48.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,006 NAD 16.4K

$541 COP 1.9M

86.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.69

13.43

-12.96%

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

Last update for Windhoek: June 8, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $487 in Windhoek versus $482 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 86% higher in Windhoek, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $39.00 in Windhoek versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $197 vs $190 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Windhoek vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Windhoek is pricier by about 10%, and the gap shows up most in Monthly Utilities & Internet. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,671 per month in Windhoek and $1,525 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 $39.00 in Windhoek and $33.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,114 in Windhoek and $1,017 in Medellin. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,017, than in Windhoek at $1,114. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Windhoek 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, Windhoek makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.