Cost of Living Comparison Between Abuja and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Abuja and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,687 in Abuja versus $1,034 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,850 in Abuja versus $1,577 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,012 in Abuja versus $2,120 in Medellin.

Living in Abuja is roughly 63% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Abuja is 26% above, Medellin is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.04 ₦2,812

$5.92 COP 21.4K

-65.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.83 ₦61.7K

$32.75 COP 118.2K

36.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.70 ₦7,846

$7.20 COP 26.0K

-20.83%

Cappuccino

$2.54 ₦3,501

$1.70 COP 6,140

49.41%

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

$0.55 ₦760

$1.10 COP 3,966

-50.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 ₦573

$0.72 COP 2,605

-41.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.07 ₦1,478

$1.67 COP 6,022

-35.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.19 ₦1,639

$3.10 COP 11.2K

-61.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.03 ₦4,179

$1.06 COP 3,809

185.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 ₦1,725

$1.25 COP 4,497

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₦3,457

$1.39 COP 5,022

80.58%

Eggs

$1.50 ₦2,072

$2.26 COP 8,168

-33.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.30 ₦7,292

$4.33 COP 15.6K

22.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.60 ₦6,335

$5.84 COP 21.1K

-21.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.94 ₦5,429

$8.83 COP 31.9K

-55.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.07 ₦4,223

$2.24 COP 8,099

37.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 ₦2,442

$1.08 COP 3,882

63.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 ₦3,009

$1.53 COP 5,522

43.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.74 ₦2,398

$1.37 COP 4,950

27.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 ₦2,967

$1.13 COP 4,078

91.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.53 ₦3,486

$1.12 COP 4,036

125.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 ₦835

$0.85 COP 3,057

-28.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.29 ₦395

$0.91 COP 3,281

-68.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.46 ₦3,390

$2.33 COP 8,414

5.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.09 ₦9,760

$11.13 COP 40.2K

-36.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 ₦1,518

$1.19 COP 4,309

-7.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 ₦1,964

$2.37 COP 8,553

-39.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.64 ₦883

$0.79 COP 2,838

-18.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.91 ₦1,247

$1.44 COP 5,184

-36.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ₦1,408

$1.91 COP 6,901

-46.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 ₦5,901

$8.02 COP 28.9K

-46.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.77 ₦1,060

$0.94 COP 3,385

-18.09%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

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

$30.29 ₦41.7K

$84.0 COP 303.1K

-63.92%

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

$10.91 ₦15.0K

$9.60 COP 34.7K

13.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.37 ₦58.3K

$24.16 COP 87.2K

75.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.96 ₦60.5K

$25.88 COP 93.4K

69.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.60 ₦14.6K

$19.04 COP 68.7K

-44.33%

Cinema Ticket

$8.26 ₦11.4K

$3.92 COP 14.1K

110.71%

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

$132 ₦181.5K

$306 COP 1.1M

-56.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,979 ₦2.7M

$5,919 COP 21.4M

-66.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.71 ₦40.9K

$57.9 COP 209.1K

-48.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.33 ₦40.4K

$31.82 COP 114.9K

-7.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.0 ₦93.7K

$99.9 COP 360.6K

-31.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.3 ₦117.4K

$107 COP 386.8K

-20.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,487 ₦3.4M

$487 COP 1.8M

410.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 ₦1.6M

$368 COP 1.3M

211.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,558 ₦7.7M

$826 COP 3.0M

573.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,731 ₦3.8M

$716 COP 2.6M

281.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,141 ₦1.6M

$2,925 COP 10.6M

-61.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,125 ₦1.5M

$1,407 COP 5.1M

-20.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$285 ₦392.1K

$546 COP 2.0M

-47.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

22.5

13.43

67.54%

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

Last update for Abuja: April 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,487 in Abuja and $487 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 92% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $45.00 in Abuja vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $190 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

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

Abuja vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Abuja and Medellin differ by about 63% in total monthly costs ($1,687 vs $1,034 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Medellin earns 92% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,487 in Abuja versus $487 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $132 in Abuja versus $306 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $45.00 in Abuja. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,034 in Medellin versus $1,687 in Abuja, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Abuja. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 63% less than in Abuja. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.