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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,106 per month in Windhoek vs $1,003 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,822 per month in Windhoek vs $1,573 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,538 per month in Windhoek vs $2,143 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 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.61 NAD 176

$5.91 COP 18.6K

79.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.68 NAD 640

$32.96 COP 103.8K

17.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.36 NAD 88.6

$7.43 COP 23.4K

-27.86%

Cappuccino

$1.84 NAD 30.46

$1.65 COP 5,207

11.52%

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

$0.93 NAD 15.34

$1.10 COP 3,468

-15.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 NAD 15.61

$0.78 COP 2,458

20.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 NAD 29.65

$1.72 COP 5,412

4.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 NAD 37.45

$3.18 COP 10.0K

-28.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 NAD 24.10

$1.10 COP 3,474

32.73%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 NAD 14.19

$1.26 COP 3,962

-31.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 NAD 27.75

$1.38 COP 4,349

21.74%

Eggs

$2.90 NAD 47.99

$2.18 COP 6,858

33.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.43 NAD 106

$4.49 COP 14.1K

43.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.39 NAD 89.1

$5.79 COP 18.2K

-6.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.80 NAD 112

$8.97 COP 28.2K

-24.19%

Apples (1kg)

$1.88 NAD 31.17

$2.32 COP 7,308

-18.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 NAD 32.68

$1.06 COP 3,352

86.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.72 NAD 28.38

$1.52 COP 4,774

13.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.81 NAD 29.91

$1.36 COP 4,270

33.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 NAD 34.49

$1.13 COP 3,552

84.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 NAD 29.21

$1.17 COP 3,689

51.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.85 NAD 30.53

$0.90 COP 2,838

105.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 NAD 18.14

$0.90 COP 2,823

22.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.77 NAD 45.80

$2.23 COP 7,034

24.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.77 NAD 112

$12.12 COP 38.2K

-44.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 NAD 22.33

$1.19 COP 3,743

13.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 NAD 30.59

$2.48 COP 7,815

-25.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.74 NAD 12.16

$0.85 COP 2,687

-12.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.82 NAD 675

$41.62 COP 131.0K

-1.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.74 NAD 12.29

$1.42 COP 4,459

-47.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 NAD 12.06

$1.95 COP 6,141

-62.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.48 NAD 190

$7.89 COP 24.8K

45.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.16 NAD 19.26

$0.99 COP 3,118

17.17%

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

$21.5K NAD 356.3K

$17.6K COP 55.4M

22.37%

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

$24.3K NAD 402.8K

$26.8K COP 84.4M

-9.14%

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

$116 NAD 1,920

$83.0 COP 261.4K

39.81%

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

$17.88 NAD 296

$9.70 COP 30.5K

84.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.1 NAD 828

$23.52 COP 74.1K

112.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.58 NAD 605

$25.26 COP 79.5K

44.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.06 NAD 216

$19.10 COP 60.1K

-31.62%

Cinema Ticket

$5.27 NAD 87.1

$3.95 COP 12.4K

33.42%

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

$217 NAD 3,581

$316 COP 994.2K

-31.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,159 NAD 85.3K

$5,975 COP 18.8M

-13.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.6 NAD 853

$60.0 COP 188.9K

-14.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.68 NAD 441

$31.82 COP 100.2K

-16.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.3 NAD 1,477

$102 COP 320.1K

-12.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.1 NAD 1,342

$107 COP 338.3K

-24.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$502 NAD 8,308

$475 COP 1.5M

5.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$385 NAD 6,370

$374 COP 1.2M

2.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,253 NAD 20.7K

$849 COP 2.7M

47.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$930 NAD 15.4K

$719 COP 2.3M

29.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,587 NAD 26.3K

$3,265 COP 10.3M

-51.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$613 NAD 10.1K

$1,441 COP 4.5M

-57.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$993 NAD 16.4K

$624 COP 2.0M

59.05%

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: July 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $502 in Windhoek 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.

Salaries run about 59% 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: $200 vs $193 – 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 $1,658 per month in Windhoek 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 $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 $1,106 in Windhoek and $1,003 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 $1,003, than in Windhoek at $1,106. 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.