Cost of Living Comparison Between Lome and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Lome and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,049 in Lome versus $1,031 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,501 in Lome versus $1,599 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,954 in Lome versus $2,167 in Medellin.

Living in Lome is roughly 2% more expensive than in Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lome 21% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.17 F CFA 1,248

$6.16 COP 20.1K

-64.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.09 F CFA 18.4K

$32.60 COP 106.1K

-1.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.16 F CFA 2,964

$7.34 COP 23.9K

-29.70%

Cappuccino

$5.62 F CFA 3,229

$1.72 COP 5,599

226.74%

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

$3.46 F CFA 1,984

$1.05 COP 3,420

229.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 F CFA 636

$0.77 COP 2,515

44.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.86 F CFA 493

$1.69 COP 5,487

-49.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 F CFA 1,034

$3.17 COP 10.3K

-43.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.42 F CFA 1,390

$1.05 COP 3,423

130.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 F CFA 751

$1.30 COP 4,236

0.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 F CFA 1,037

$1.40 COP 4,544

29.29%

Eggs

$2.06 F CFA 1,186

$2.16 COP 7,046

-4.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.16 F CFA 8,128

$4.39 COP 14.3K

222.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.21 F CFA 4,711

$5.88 COP 19.1K

39.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.37 F CFA 5,381

$8.64 COP 28.1K

8.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.67 F CFA 1,532

$2.28 COP 7,425

17.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 F CFA 819

$1.11 COP 3,603

28.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 F CFA 1,506

$1.53 COP 4,982

71.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.52 F CFA 1,447

$1.35 COP 4,410

86.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 F CFA 1,033

$1.13 COP 3,674

59.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.75 F CFA 1,004

$1.13 COP 3,692

54.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.55 F CFA 313

$0.85 COP 2,753

-35.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 F CFA 497

$0.91 COP 2,975

-4.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.43 F CFA 821

$2.34 COP 7,629

-38.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.66 F CFA 2,676

$12.37 COP 40.3K

-62.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 F CFA 794

$1.20 COP 3,909

15.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 F CFA 901

$2.49 COP 8,104

-36.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 F CFA 194

$0.84 COP 2,727

-59.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 F CFA 30.9K

$40.57 COP 132.1K

32.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 F CFA 1,173

$1.42 COP 4,623

43.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.73 F CFA 421

$1.92 COP 6,235

-61.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 F CFA 3,008

$7.66 COP 24.9K

-31.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 F CFA 720

$0.99 COP 3,223

26.26%

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

$14.1K F CFA 8.1M

$18.0K COP 58.7M

-21.76%

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

$25.8K F CFA 14.8M

$26.6K COP 86.7M

-3.10%

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

$178 F CFA 102.4K

$80.8 COP 263.1K

120.73%

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

$21.67 F CFA 12.4K

$9.95 COP 32.4K

117.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.41 F CFA 24.9K

$24.18 COP 78.7K

79.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.00 F CFA 28.1K

$25.08 COP 81.6K

95.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.73 F CFA 5,013

$19.15 COP 62.3K

-54.41%

Cinema Ticket

$4.29 F CFA 2,465

$3.98 COP 13.0K

7.79%

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

$173 F CFA 99.3K

$305 COP 993.4K

-43.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,151 F CFA 3.0M

$6,059 COP 19.7M

-14.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.78 F CFA 14.2K

$58.1 COP 189.2K

-57.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.41 F CFA 15.7K

$32.20 COP 104.8K

-14.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$40.82 F CFA 23.4K

$101 COP 327.9K

-59.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.1 F CFA 55.2K

$108 COP 350.8K

-10.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$363 F CFA 208.6K

$477 COP 1.6M

-23.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$221 F CFA 126.6K

$376 COP 1.2M

-41.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$757 F CFA 434.6K

$845 COP 2.7M

-10.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$302 F CFA 173.4K

$730 COP 2.4M

-58.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$261 F CFA 149.9K

$617 COP 2.0M

-57.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

-40.43%

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

Last update for Lome: July 13, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $363 in Lome and $477 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 136% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32.00 in Lome vs $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $250 vs $193, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.

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

Lome vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Lome. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 136% lower in Medellin. 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: $363 in Lome versus $477 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $173 in Lome versus $305 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Lome. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,031 in Medellin versus $1,049 in Lome, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Lome. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,031 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Lome. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.