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: $1,047 in Lome versus $1,013 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,533 in Lome versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,020 in Lome versus $2,192 in Medellin.

Living in Lome is roughly 3% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lome 22% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.15 F CFA 1,216

$5.99 COP 21.3K

-64.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.22 F CFA 17.6K

$32.86 COP 116.9K

-4.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.38 F CFA 3,036

$7.09 COP 25.2K

-24.12%

Cappuccino

$5.61 F CFA 3,168

$1.71 COP 6,093

228.07%

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

$3.46 F CFA 1,953

$1.10 COP 3,910

214.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 F CFA 627

$0.78 COP 2,771

42.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.84 F CFA 477

$1.68 COP 5,976

-50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 F CFA 964

$3.07 COP 10.9K

-44.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.48 F CFA 1,397

$1.09 COP 3,892

127.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.33 F CFA 748

$1.26 COP 4,492

5.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.83 F CFA 1,035

$1.38 COP 4,905

32.61%

Eggs

$2.10 F CFA 1,184

$2.19 COP 7,799

-4.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.13 F CFA 7,975

$4.40 COP 15.7K

221.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.41 F CFA 4,748

$5.63 COP 20.0K

49.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.44 F CFA 5,326

$8.89 COP 31.6K

6.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 F CFA 1,530

$2.34 COP 8,319

15.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 F CFA 845

$1.06 COP 3,764

41.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.62 F CFA 1,481

$1.50 COP 5,355

74.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.48 F CFA 1,402

$1.38 COP 4,906

79.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 F CFA 1,012

$1.15 COP 4,097

55.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 F CFA 981

$1.16 COP 4,141

50.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.50 F CFA 284

$0.89 COP 3,170

-43.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 F CFA 482

$0.84 COP 2,986

1.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.44 F CFA 815

$2.28 COP 8,116

-36.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.87 F CFA 2,748

$10.64 COP 37.9K

-54.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 F CFA 749

$1.20 COP 4,268

10.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 F CFA 855

$2.47 COP 8,793

-38.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 F CFA 204

$0.86 COP 3,045

-58.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.3 F CFA 30.1K

$41.40 COP 147.3K

28.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.13 F CFA 1,203

$1.47 COP 5,245

44.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.69 F CFA 389

$1.96 COP 6,984

-64.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.21 F CFA 2,938

$7.74 COP 27.5K

-32.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 F CFA 704

$0.95 COP 3,397

31.58%

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

$14.1K F CFA 7.9M

$18.1K COP 64.5M

-22.46%

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

$26.0K F CFA 14.7M

$26.5K COP 94.2M

-1.96%

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

$173 F CFA 97.5K

$82.3 COP 292.7K

110.14%

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

$21.89 F CFA 12.4K

$9.50 COP 33.8K

130.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.32 F CFA 25.0K

$24.23 COP 86.2K

82.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.54 F CFA 28.0K

$25.89 COP 92.1K

91.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.63 F CFA 4,871

$19.00 COP 67.6K

-54.58%

Cinema Ticket

$4.33 F CFA 2,444

$3.93 COP 14.0K

10.18%

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

$177 F CFA 99.9K

$309 COP 1.1M

-42.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,103 F CFA 2.9M

$5,965 COP 21.2M

-14.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.39 F CFA 13.8K

$58.7 COP 208.7K

-58.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.26 F CFA 15.4K

$32.35 COP 115.1K

-15.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$42.14 F CFA 23.8K

$103 COP 365.1K

-58.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.0 F CFA 53.0K

$108 COP 385.8K

-13.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$360 F CFA 202.9K

$476 COP 1.7M

-24.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$224 F CFA 126.2K

$379 COP 1.3M

-40.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$765 F CFA 431.8K

$838 COP 3.0M

-8.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$299 F CFA 169.0K

$724 COP 2.6M

-58.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$267 F CFA 150.6K

$512 COP 1.8M

-47.88%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $360 in Lome and $476 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: $31.00 in Lome vs $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $252 vs $188, 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 3% 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, 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: $360 in Lome versus $476 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $177 in Lome versus $309 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Lome. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,047 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 $1,013 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 3% less than in Lome. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.