Cost of Living Comparison Between Freetown and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Freetown and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,931 per month in Freetown vs $1,034 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,686 per month in Freetown vs $1,577 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,441 per month in Freetown vs $2,120 in Medellin, rent included.

Freetown costs about 87% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Freetown sits 44% above the global median, while Medellin is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.97 SLL 73.5K

$5.92 COP 21.5K

-49.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.92 SLL 790.3K

$32.75 COP 119.1K

-2.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.86 SLL 244.2K

$7.20 COP 26.2K

36.94%

Cappuccino

$1.75 SLL 43.4K

$1.70 COP 6,186

2.94%

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

$1.00 SLL 24.8K

$1.10 COP 3,996

-9.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.91 SLL 22.5K

$0.72 COP 2,625

26.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.54 SLL 38.1K

$1.67 COP 6,067

-7.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 SLL 68.7K

$3.10 COP 11.3K

-10.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.47 SLL 61.1K

$1.06 COP 3,837

133.02%

White Bread (500g)

$0.68 SLL 16.9K

$1.25 COP 4,531

-45.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.36 SLL 33.6K

$1.39 COP 5,060

-2.16%

Eggs

$1.97 SLL 48.7K

$2.26 COP 8,229

-12.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.04 SLL 174.3K

$4.33 COP 15.8K

62.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.58 SLL 187.6K

$5.84 COP 21.2K

29.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.13 SLL 126.9K

$8.83 COP 32.1K

-41.90%

Apples (1kg)

$4.11 SLL 101.7K

$2.24 COP 8,159

83.48%

Banana (1kg)

$2.02 SLL 50.0K

$1.08 COP 3,911

87.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.74 SLL 18.2K

$1.53 COP 5,563

-51.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.99 SLL 123.4K

$1.37 COP 4,987

264.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.02 SLL 50.1K

$1.13 COP 4,109

78.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 SLL 41.1K

$1.12 COP 4,067

48.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 SLL 25.0K

$0.85 COP 3,080

18.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 SLL 35.1K

$0.91 COP 3,305

56.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.96 SLL 73.2K

$2.33 COP 8,477

27.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.72 SLL 191.2K

$11.13 COP 40.5K

-30.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 SLL 27.8K

$1.19 COP 4,342

-5.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 SLL 49.5K

$2.37 COP 8,617

-15.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.44 SLL 11.0K

$0.79 COP 2,859

-44.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 149.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 SLL 18.2K

$1.44 COP 5,223

-49.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.24 SLL 30.6K

$1.91 COP 6,952

-35.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.06 SLL 125.2K

$8.02 COP 29.2K

-36.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 SLL 32.7K

$0.94 COP 3,410

40.43%

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

$11.9K SLL 293.6M

$17.9K COP 65.2M

-33.84%

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

$24.7K SLL 611.7M

$26.8K COP 97.4M

-7.78%

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

$143 SLL 3.5M

$84.0 COP 305.4K

70.10%

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

$10.13 SLL 250.8K

$9.60 COP 34.9K

5.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$99.4 SLL 2.5M

$24.16 COP 87.9K

311.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.7 SLL 1.3M

$25.88 COP 94.1K

96.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 69.3K

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.2K

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

$306 COP 1.1M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.5M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$9.96 SLL 246.7K

$57.9 COP 210.6K

-82.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$8.03 SLL 198.9K

$31.82 COP 115.7K

-74.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$20.25 SLL 501.4K

$99.9 COP 363.3K

-79.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.2 SLL 1.2M

$107 COP 389.7K

-53.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$807 SLL 20.0M

$487 COP 1.8M

65.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 SLL 30.9M

$368 COP 1.3M

238.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,143 SLL 53.1M

$826 COP 3.0M

159.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$98.6 SLL 2.4M

$716 COP 2.6M

-86.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,044 SLL 75.4M

$2,925 COP 10.6M

4.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,740 SLL 43.1M

$1,407 COP 5.1M

23.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,123 SLL 27.8M

$546 COP 2.0M

105.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

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

Last update for Freetown: April 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $807 in Freetown 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 106% higher in Freetown, 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 $32.00 in Freetown versus $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $235 in Freetown vs $190 in Medellin – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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

Freetown vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,931 in Freetown, $1,034 in Medellin – roughly 87% apart. Freetown costs more across the board, with Clothing & Footwear showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,896 per month in Freetown 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 $32.00 in Freetown 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 $1,931 in Freetown 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 Freetown at $1,931. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Freetown 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 $1,034 in Medellin to $1,931 in Freetown. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Freetown makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.