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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,113 per month in Windhoek vs $1,034 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,813 per month in Windhoek vs $1,577 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,513 per month in Windhoek vs $2,120 in Medellin, rent included.

Windhoek costs about 8% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Windhoek and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – Windhoek 17% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.61 NAD 178

$5.92 COP 21.4K

79.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.94 NAD 653

$32.75 COP 118.2K

18.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.24 NAD 87.9

$7.20 COP 26.0K

-27.22%

Cappuccino

$1.91 NAD 32.03

$1.70 COP 6,140

12.35%

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

$0.91 NAD 15.31

$1.10 COP 3,966

-17.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.90 NAD 15.05

$0.72 COP 2,605

25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.84 NAD 30.89

$1.67 COP 6,022

10.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 NAD 37.82

$3.10 COP 11.2K

-27.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 NAD 24.26

$1.06 COP 3,809

36.79%

White Bread (500g)

$0.85 NAD 14.31

$1.25 COP 4,497

-32.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 NAD 26.96

$1.39 COP 5,022

15.83%

Eggs

$2.90 NAD 48.62

$2.26 COP 8,168

28.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.21 NAD 104

$4.33 COP 15.6K

43.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.32 NAD 89.3

$5.84 COP 21.1K

-8.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.60 NAD 111

$8.83 COP 31.9K

-25.25%

Apples (1kg)

$1.86 NAD 31.19

$2.24 COP 8,099

-16.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 NAD 32.21

$1.08 COP 3,882

77.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.68 NAD 28.20

$1.53 COP 5,522

9.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.74 NAD 29.21

$1.37 COP 4,950

27.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 NAD 33.54

$1.13 COP 4,078

76.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 NAD 30.30

$1.12 COP 4,036

61.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 NAD 32.33

$0.85 COP 3,057

127.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 NAD 19.04

$0.91 COP 3,281

25.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.81 NAD 47.12

$2.33 COP 8,414

20.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.64 NAD 111

$11.13 COP 40.2K

-40.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 NAD 23.33

$1.19 COP 4,309

16.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 NAD 31.28

$2.37 COP 8,553

-21.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 NAD 12.62

$0.79 COP 2,838

-5.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.91 NAD 686

$41.13 COP 148.5K

-0.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.75 NAD 12.64

$1.44 COP 5,184

-47.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.72 NAD 12.04

$1.91 COP 6,901

-62.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.68 NAD 196

$8.02 COP 28.9K

45.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 NAD 19.83

$0.94 COP 3,385

25.53%

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

$21.3K NAD 357.4K

$17.9K COP 64.7M

18.92%

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

$23.5K NAD 393.7K

$26.8K COP 96.7M

-12.36%

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

$117 NAD 1,965

$84.0 COP 303.1K

39.58%

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

$18.00 NAD 302

$9.60 COP 34.7K

87.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.5 NAD 864

$24.16 COP 87.2K

113.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.57 NAD 630

$25.88 COP 93.4K

45.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.44 NAD 225

$19.04 COP 68.7K

-29.41%

Cinema Ticket

$5.20 NAD 87.2

$3.92 COP 14.1K

32.65%

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

$216 NAD 3,615

$306 COP 1.1M

-29.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,219 NAD 87.5K

$5,919 COP 21.4M

-11.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.4 NAD 862

$57.9 COP 209.1K

-11.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.43 NAD 460

$31.82 COP 114.9K

-13.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.0 NAD 1,492

$99.9 COP 360.6K

-10.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.7 NAD 1,354

$107 COP 386.8K

-24.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 NAD 8,382

$487 COP 1.8M

2.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$387 NAD 6,493

$368 COP 1.3M

5.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 NAD 21.6K

$826 COP 3.0M

55.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$936 NAD 15.7K

$716 COP 2.6M

30.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,403 NAD 23.5K

$2,925 COP 10.6M

-52.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$616 NAD 10.3K

$1,407 COP 5.1M

-56.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$991 NAD 16.6K

$546 COP 2.0M

81.69%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $500 in Windhoek versus $487 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 82% 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 8%, 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 $1,670 per month in Windhoek and $1,550 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 $1,113 in Windhoek and $1,034 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 $1,034, than in Windhoek at $1,113. 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.