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: $1,028 in Lome versus $1,014 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,520 in Lome versus $1,596 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,012 in Lome versus $2,178 in Medellin.

Living in Lome is roughly 1% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Lome 24% lower, Medellin 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.18 F CFA 1,219

$6.14 COP 22.2K

-64.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$31.89 F CFA 17.8K

$33.05 COP 119.3K

-3.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.15 F CFA 2,876

$7.32 COP 26.4K

-29.64%

Cappuccino

$5.90 F CFA 3,291

$1.66 COP 5,987

255.42%

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

$3.38 F CFA 1,888

$1.10 COP 3,987

207.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.11 F CFA 621

$0.78 COP 2,822

42.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.84 F CFA 472

$1.71 COP 6,188

-50.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 F CFA 955

$3.17 COP 11.5K

-46.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.42 F CFA 1,353

$1.11 COP 4,012

118.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 F CFA 706

$1.31 COP 4,719

-3.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.85 F CFA 1,031

$1.38 COP 4,980

34.06%

Eggs

$2.06 F CFA 1,148

$2.22 COP 8,009

-7.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.08 F CFA 7,859

$4.34 COP 15.7K

224.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.50 F CFA 4,746

$5.80 COP 20.9K

46.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.91 F CFA 4,974

$8.98 COP 32.4K

-0.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 F CFA 1,471

$2.26 COP 8,164

16.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 F CFA 842

$1.11 COP 4,023

36.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.69 F CFA 1,504

$1.46 COP 5,284

84.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 F CFA 1,358

$1.37 COP 4,929

77.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 F CFA 1,007

$1.11 COP 4,009

62.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.75 F CFA 975

$1.16 COP 4,199

50.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.52 F CFA 289

$0.89 COP 3,211

-41.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 F CFA 479

$0.87 COP 3,124

-1.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.38 F CFA 773

$2.35 COP 8,495

-41.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.83 F CFA 2,699

$10.86 COP 39.2K

-55.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 F CFA 760

$1.20 COP 4,330

13.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 F CFA 839

$2.48 COP 8,946

-39.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 F CFA 190

$0.79 COP 2,842

-56.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.2 F CFA 29.1K

$40.77 COP 147.2K

27.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 F CFA 1,172

$1.42 COP 5,137

47.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.74 F CFA 415

$1.91 COP 6,900

-61.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.27 F CFA 2,941

$7.65 COP 27.6K

-31.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 F CFA 666

$0.97 COP 3,490

22.68%

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

$14.1K F CFA 7.9M

$18.1K COP 65.3M

-21.84%

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

$25.6K F CFA 14.3M

$26.3K COP 95.0M

-2.65%

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

$172 F CFA 96.0K

$81.3 COP 293.5K

111.50%

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

$22.30 F CFA 12.4K

$9.63 COP 34.8K

131.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.33 F CFA 24.2K

$24.36 COP 88.0K

77.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.05 F CFA 27.4K

$26.02 COP 93.9K

88.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.08 F CFA 5,069

$18.92 COP 68.3K

-52.01%

Cinema Ticket

$4.31 F CFA 2,404

$3.89 COP 14.0K

10.80%

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

$178 F CFA 99.5K

$304 COP 1.1M

-41.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,148 F CFA 2.9M

$5,902 COP 21.3M

-12.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.52 F CFA 13.7K

$58.7 COP 211.8K

-58.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.17 F CFA 15.2K

$32.48 COP 117.2K

-16.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$40.81 F CFA 22.8K

$102 COP 367.3K

-59.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.2 F CFA 52.6K

$108 COP 390.4K

-12.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$358 F CFA 199.9K

$474 COP 1.7M

-24.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$221 F CFA 123.2K

$371 COP 1.3M

-40.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$764 F CFA 426.4K

$848 COP 3.1M

-9.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$300 F CFA 167.7K

$716 COP 2.6M

-58.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,871 COP 10.4M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,375 COP 5.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$264 F CFA 147.4K

$542 COP 2.0M

-51.25%

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: April 14, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $358 in Lome and $474 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 105% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $32 in Lome vs $33 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $250 vs $190, 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 1% 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 105% 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: $358 in Lome versus $474 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $178 in Lome versus $304 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Lome. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,014 in Medellin versus $1,028 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 $1,014 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 1% less than in Lome. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.