Cost of Living Comparison Between Accra and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Accra and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $746 per month in Accra vs $1,031 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,304 per month in Accra vs $1,599 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,862 per month in Accra vs $2,167 in Medellin, rent included.

Accra is about 28% cheaper than Medellin, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Accra and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – Accra 44% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.34 GHS 50.1

$6.16 COP 20.1K

-29.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.15 GHS 556

$32.60 COP 106.1K

47.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.70 GHS 88.9

$7.34 COP 23.9K

4.90%

Cappuccino

$3.50 GHS 40.40

$1.72 COP 5,599

103.49%

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

$1.00 GHS 11.54

$1.05 COP 3,420

-4.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.35 GHS 3.98

$0.77 COP 2,515

-54.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.53 GHS 17.61

$1.69 COP 5,487

-9.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 GHS 29.53

$3.17 COP 10.3K

-19.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.37 GHS 38.91

$1.05 COP 3,423

220.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 GHS 16.83

$1.30 COP 4,236

12.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.47 GHS 28.46

$1.40 COP 4,544

76.43%

Eggs

$2.27 GHS 26.17

$2.16 COP 7,046

5.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.22 GHS 129

$4.39 COP 14.3K

155.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.54 GHS 52.4

$5.88 COP 19.1K

-22.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.87 GHS 67.8

$8.64 COP 28.1K

-32.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 GHS 33.44

$2.28 COP 7,425

27.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 GHS 16.84

$1.11 COP 3,603

31.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 GHS 19.78

$1.53 COP 4,982

11.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.17 GHS 36.59

$1.35 COP 4,410

134.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.98 GHS 34.36

$1.13 COP 3,674

163.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.46 GHS 28.38

$1.13 COP 3,692

117.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.76 GHS 8.80

$0.85 COP 2,753

-10.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 GHS 5.54

$0.91 COP 2,975

-47.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.58 GHS 18.26

$2.34 COP 7,629

-32.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.30 GHS 84.3

$12.37 COP 40.3K

-40.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 GHS 13.37

$1.20 COP 3,909

-3.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 GHS 22.66

$2.49 COP 8,104

-21.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.05 GHS 12.09

$0.84 COP 2,727

25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.17 GHS 406

$40.57 COP 132.1K

-13.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 GHS 17.74

$1.42 COP 4,623

8.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.17 GHS 13.45

$1.92 COP 6,235

-39.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.38 GHS 62.0

$7.66 COP 24.9K

-29.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 GHS 12.99

$0.99 COP 3,223

14.14%

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

$8,009 GHS 92.4K

$18.0K COP 58.7M

-55.58%

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

$9,480 GHS 109.4K

$26.6K COP 86.7M

-64.40%

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

$55.6 GHS 642

$80.8 COP 263.1K

-31.17%

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

$13.03 GHS 150

$9.95 COP 32.4K

30.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.61 GHS 434

$24.18 COP 78.7K

55.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.17 GHS 406

$25.08 COP 81.6K

40.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.03 GHS 185

$19.15 COP 62.3K

-16.29%

Cinema Ticket

$9.74 GHS 112

$3.98 COP 13.0K

144.72%

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

$72.2 GHS 833

$305 COP 993.4K

-76.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,959 GHS 91.8K

$6,059 COP 19.7M

31.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.51 GHS 167

$58.1 COP 189.2K

-75.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.82 GHS 217

$32.20 COP 104.8K

-41.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$28.88 GHS 333

$101 COP 327.9K

-71.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.84 GHS 471

$108 COP 350.8K

-62.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$530 GHS 6,114

$477 COP 1.6M

11.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$147 GHS 1,698

$376 COP 1.2M

-60.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 GHS 12.1K

$845 COP 2.7M

24.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$378 GHS 4,366

$730 COP 2.4M

-48.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,797 GHS 32.3K

$3,215 COP 10.5M

-13.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,469 GHS 17.0K

$1,372 COP 4.5M

7.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$180 GHS 2,081

$617 COP 2.0M

-70.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

25.4

13.43

89.13%

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

Last update for Accra: July 11, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $530 in Accra versus $477 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 242% higher in Medellin, 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 $48.00 in Accra versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $234 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

Accra vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $746 in Accra, $1,031 in Medellin – roughly 38% apart. Medellin costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,119 per month in Accra and $1,546 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 21% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Accra and $33.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Accra, where all-in costs run around $746, than in Medellin at $1,031. In Accra it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $746 in Accra to $1,031 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Accra. 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.