Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Abomey-Calavi

For one person, living is cheaper in Abomey-Calavi: $712 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Abomey-Calavi
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Abomey-Calavi Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Abomey-Calavi

🇧🇯 Benin

$712

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Abomey-Calavi

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 Abomey-Calavi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $712 in Abomey-Calavi, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Abomey-Calavi $712

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,119 in Abomey-Calavi, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Abomey-Calavi $1,119

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,526 in Abomey-Calavi, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Abomey-Calavi $1,526

Medellin costs about 130% more than Abomey-Calavi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Abomey-Calavi is 48% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$5.67 F CFA 3,319

42.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$25.09 F CFA 14.7K

87.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$7.97 F CFA 4,662

19.20%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,734

$4.61 F CFA 2,694

-34.71%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$1.14 F CFA 666

57.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,560

$1.75 F CFA 1,023

-19.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$1.71 F CFA 1,003

85.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$5.03 F CFA 2,944

14.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,875

$2.18 F CFA 1,276

-30.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,677

$0.25 F CFA 146

852.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,719

$1.97 F CFA 1,153

-10.15%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,332

$1.92 F CFA 1,120

50.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$3.40 F CFA 1,988

199.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$3.94 F CFA 2,303

150.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$6.06 F CFA 3,547

130.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$2.10 F CFA 1,227

89.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,011

$0.87 F CFA 511

78.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,047

$0.70 F CFA 408

211.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,050

$2.09 F CFA 1,221

4.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,336

$0.93 F CFA 542

110.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,131

$0.76 F CFA 442

109.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,698

$0.71 F CFA 413

61.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.88 F CFA 513

40.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$0.41 F CFA 242

865.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$10.84 F CFA 6,341

26.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$0.92 F CFA 540

80.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,290

$1.09 F CFA 639

107.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,770

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$7.62 F CFA 4,460

915.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$1.74 F CFA 1,017

-27.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,611

$1.74 F CFA 1,019

17.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,348

$1.20 F CFA 702

12.50%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

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

$170 COP 547.7K

$118 F CFA 69.0K

43.88%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$19.68 F CFA 11.5K

-31.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$86.4 F CFA 50.5K

-67.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$33.76 F CFA 19.7K

29.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$5.18 F CFA 3,029

231.85%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$5.99 F CFA 3,504

15.36%

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)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$16.82 F CFA 9,837

403.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.1K

$8.48 F CFA 4,960

583.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.7K

$25.81 F CFA 15.1K

422.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$25.94 F CFA 15.2K

277.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$96.9 F CFA 56.7K

1146.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$72.2 F CFA 42.3K

788.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$209 F CFA 122.1K

871.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$275 F CFA 161.0K

267.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$85.1 F CFA 49.8K

672.11%

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 Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Abomey-Calavi: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Abomey-Calavi

$72 10.1% 88.7% $569

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Abomey-Calavi

$163 22.9% 45.1% $134

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Abomey-Calavi

$224 31.4% 6% $13

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Abomey-Calavi

$155 21.7% 8.7% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Abomey-Calavi

$35 4.9% 79.5% $134

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Abomey-Calavi

$18 * 2.5% 80.7% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Abomey-Calavi

$46 6.4% 20.5% $12

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $97 in Abomey-Calavi. 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 7.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $25 in Abomey-Calavi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $163 – making Abomey-Calavi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇧🇯 Abomey-Calavi

🕒 Local time

08:56 8:56 AM

14:56 2:56 PM

6 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

650,000

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XOF, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

West African CFA Franc exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 585 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 653 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Abomey-Calavi 8,610 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Abomey-Calavi

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 Abomey-Calavi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 130%, 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 $1,069 in Abomey-Calavi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Abomey-Calavi, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $97 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $712 in Abomey-Calavi. That makes Abomey-Calavi about 57% cheaper.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $25 in Abomey-Calavi. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Abomey-Calavi, where all-in costs run around $712, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Abomey-Calavi 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 $712 in Abomey-Calavi to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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