Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Abidjan Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Abidjan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,031 in Medellin versus $1,344 in Abidjan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $2,184 in Abidjan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $3,023 in Abidjan.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 23% less than in Abidjan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% below, Abidjan is 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.0K

$3.52 F CFA 2,015

75.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.0K

$52.8 F CFA 30.2K

-38.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$10.66 F CFA 6,106

-31.14%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,592

$1.90 F CFA 1,086

-9.47%

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

$1.05 COP 3,416

$0.80 F CFA 458

31.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,511

$0.86 F CFA 492

-10.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,480

$1.05 F CFA 601

60.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$1.73 F CFA 994

83.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,418

$2.40 F CFA 1,377

-56.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,230

$0.59 F CFA 335

120.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,538

$1.30 F CFA 747

7.69%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,037

$2.28 F CFA 1,304

-5.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$23.01 F CFA 13.2K

-80.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$8.38 F CFA 4,799

-29.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$6.07 F CFA 3,479

42.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,415

$3.87 F CFA 2,215

-41.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,599

$1.09 F CFA 623

1.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,976

$2.20 F CFA 1,260

-30.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,405

$1.96 F CFA 1,125

-31.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,669

$1.68 F CFA 963

-32.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,687

$1.74 F CFA 994

-35.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,749

$0.87 F CFA 497

-2.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,971

$0.86 F CFA 490

5.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,619

$1.80 F CFA 1,029

30.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.2K

$6.14 F CFA 3,520

101.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,904

$1.01 F CFA 577

18.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,094

$1.42 F CFA 815

75.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,724

$0.99 F CFA 569

-15.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 131.9K

$48.00 F CFA 27.5K

-15.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,617

$1.71 F CFA 982

-16.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,227

$1.59 F CFA 912

20.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$26.42 F CFA 15.1K

-71.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,219

$1.55 F CFA 885

-36.13%

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

$18.0K COP 58.6M

$32.4K F CFA 18.6M

-44.32%

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

$26.6K COP 86.6M

$30.3K F CFA 17.3M

-12.05%

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

$80.8 COP 262.7K

$187 F CFA 106.9K

-56.67%

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

$9.95 COP 32.3K

$35.90 F CFA 20.6K

-72.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.6K

$46.13 F CFA 26.4K

-47.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.5K

$78.0 F CFA 44.7K

-67.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$22.25 F CFA 12.7K

-13.93%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$8.64 F CFA 4,953

-53.94%

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

$305 COP 992.2K

$291 F CFA 166.7K

4.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$3,340 F CFA 1.9M

81.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.0K

$90.5 F CFA 51.8K

-35.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.7K

$57.0 F CFA 32.6K

-43.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.5K

$84.1 F CFA 48.2K

19.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.3K

$138 F CFA 79.1K

-21.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.5M

$614 F CFA 351.8K

-22.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$386 F CFA 220.9K

-2.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$1,843 F CFA 1.1M

-54.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$950 F CFA 544.5K

-23.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$2,294 F CFA 1.3M

40.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$692 F CFA 396.3K

98.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

$221 F CFA 126.6K

179.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

14.75

-8.95%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Last update for Abidjan: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $614 in Abidjan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 179% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $53.0 in Abidjan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $260 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

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 Abidjan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 30% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 179% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $477 in Medellin versus $614 in Abidjan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $53.0 in Abidjan. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,031 per month in Medellin versus $1,344 in Abidjan – a 30% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,031 in Medellin versus $1,344 in Abidjan, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Abidjan. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Medellin is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Abidjan, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Abidjan. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.