Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Maiduguri and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Maiduguri: $172 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $17,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Maiduguri

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$172

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Maiduguri and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Maiduguri and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $172 in Maiduguri versus $1,639 in Medellin.

Maiduguri $172
Medellin $1,639

Estimated couple costs with rent: $287 in Maiduguri versus $2,413 in Medellin.

Maiduguri $287
Medellin $2,413

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $403 in Maiduguri versus $3,186 in Medellin.

Maiduguri $403
Medellin $3,186

Living in Maiduguri costs roughly 90% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Maiduguri is 87% below, Medellin is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$0.50 ₦673

$8.09 COP 26.1K

-93.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.7K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$1.91 ₦2,566

$9.50 COP 30.6K

-79.89%

Cappuccino

$0.92 ₦1,233

$3.01 COP 9,722

-69.44%

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

$0.27 ₦366

$1.80 COP 5,801

-85.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 ₦288

$1.41 COP 4,554

-85.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.5K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,869

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 ₦1,366

$2.38 COP 7,667

-57.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.01 ₦2,708

$1.77 COP 5,712

13.56%

Eggs

$1.78 ₦2,391

$2.89 COP 9,320

-38.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.04 ₦6,784

$9.87 COP 31.8K

-48.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.11 ₦5,524

$13.99 COP 45.1K

-70.62%

Apples (1kg)

$4.04 ₦5,437

$3.97 COP 12.8K

1.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,005

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,039

Tomato (1kg)

$1.03 ₦1,382

$2.18 COP 7,041

-52.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.53 ₦2,064

$1.96 COP 6,328

-21.94%

Onion (1kg)

$0.99 ₦1,325

$1.59 COP 5,125

-37.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.42 ₦559

$1.15 COP 3,694

-63.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₦418

$1.24 COP 4,009

-75.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.1K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,352

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,281

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.38 ₦514

$1.17 COP 3,766

-67.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,089

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,603

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.25 ₦333

$1.35 COP 4,343

-81.48%

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

$34.1K COP 109.8M

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

$34.7K COP 111.8M

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

$170 COP 547.0K

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

$7.90 ₦10.6K

$13.55 COP 43.7K

-41.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.5K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 140.9K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.89 ₦10.6K

$17.19 COP 55.4K

-54.10%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

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

$797 COP 2.6M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$19.77 ₦26.6K

$84.7 COP 273.2K

-76.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.04 ₦24.3K

$58.0 COP 186.9K

-68.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$25.04 ₦33.7K

$135 COP 435.2K

-81.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$25.48 ₦34.3K

$97.9 COP 315.6K

-73.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.4M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Maiduguri: October 24, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Maiduguri

–

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Groceries & Markets

Maiduguri

–

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Maiduguri

–

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Eating Out

Maiduguri

–

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Maiduguri

–

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Getting Around

Maiduguri

–

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Sport & Entertainment

Maiduguri

–

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Good to know

🇳🇬 Maiduguri

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

11:22 11:22 AM

05:22 5:22 AM

6 h behind Maiduguri

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,197,497

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Nigerian Naira NGN ₦

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 NGN = 7.44 USD

10,000 NGN = 6.66 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to NGN – Nigerian Naira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇬 Nigerian Naira (₦)

Nigerian Naira exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1,345 NGN (10,000 NGN = 7.44 USD). 1 EUR = 1,502 NGN (10,000 NGN = 6.66 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

USD to NGN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Maiduguri Medellin 9,730 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Maiduguri
Medellin

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Maiduguri vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Maiduguri is about 90% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $258 in Maiduguri and $2,459 in Medellin to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 196% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $172 per month in Maiduguri versus $1,639 in Medellin – Maiduguri is about 90% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $172 in Maiduguri versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Maiduguri but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Maiduguri the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.