Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Aba

For one person, living is cheaper in Aba: $402 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $14,800 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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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Aba

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$402

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Aba

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $402 in Aba, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Aba $402

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $653 in Aba, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Aba $653

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $904 in Aba, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Aba $904

Medellin costs about 308% more than Aba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Aba is 70% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.4K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.0K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 29.9K

$7.21 ₦9,667

31.76%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,485

$0.87 ₦1,172

245.98%

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

$1.80 COP 5,660

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,443

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 9,990

$2.07 ₦2,770

53.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$2.42 ₦3,243

137.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,751

$3.71 ₦4,968

-59.30%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,480

$2.21 ₦2,960

7.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,573

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,093

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.1K

$11.26 ₦15.1K

-9.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.1K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.0K

$1.27 ₦1,700

1001.57%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.5K

$5.14 ₦6,889

-22.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,883

$0.55 ₦735

181.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,867

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,870

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,174

$3.44 ₦4,614

-43.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,000

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,604

$1.15 ₦1,541

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,911

$0.16 ₦209

675.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$1.45 ₦1,947

173.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.0K

$7.18 ₦9,628

90.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,221

$1.24 ₦1,657

33.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,103

$1.43 ₦1,922

58.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,674

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

$9.28 ₦12.4K

733.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 3,989

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,442

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,237

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

$34.1K COP 107.2M

$6,017 ₦8.1M

466.17%

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

$7,453 ₦10.0M

365.18%

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

$170 COP 533.7K

$113 ₦151.4K

50.20%

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

$13.55 COP 42.6K

$2.19 ₦2,941

518.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.3K

$44.64 ₦59.8K

-37.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.7K

$2.13 ₦2,861

224.41%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

$1,047 ₦1.4M

769.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 266.5K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 182.3K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 424.6K

$15.04 ₦20.2K

797.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 307.9K

$18.61 ₦24.9K

425.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$136 ₦181.8K

790.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$443 ₦594.3K

357.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$221 ₦296.8K

356.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

$1,057 ₦1.4M

294.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$461 ₦618.2K

314.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$95.0 ₦127.3K

591.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-8.83%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Aba: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Aba

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Aba

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Aba

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Aba

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Aba

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Aba

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Aba

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $136 in Aba. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Medellin are about 6.9 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇳🇬 Aba

🕒 Local time

15:27 3:27 PM

21:27 9:27 PM

6 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

1,020,900

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Nigerian Naira NGN ₦

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

10,000 NGN = 7.46 USD

10,000 NGN = 6.7 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NGN, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

Nigerian Naira exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1,340 NGN (10,000 NGN = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,492 NGN (10,000 NGN = 6.7 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Aba 9,170 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Aba

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

Medellin vs Aba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 308%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $603 in Aba. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Aba, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $136 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Groceries cost about 79% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

Public transport costs about 88% less in Aba. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Aba, where all-in costs run around $402, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Aba it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin 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 $402 in Aba to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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