Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Abuja Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Abuja

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,003 in Medellin versus $1,650 in Abuja.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,573 in Medellin versus $2,777 in Abuja.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $3,905 in Abuja.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 39% less than in Abuja, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% below, Abuja is 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.91 COP 18.6K

$2.02 ₦2,760

192.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.96 COP 103.8K

$44.61 ₦60.9K

-26.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 COP 23.4K

$5.61 ₦7,652

32.44%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,207

$2.56 ₦3,498

-35.55%

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

$1.10 COP 3,468

$0.50 ₦688

120.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,458

$0.39 ₦526

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,412

$1.06 ₦1,444

62.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$1.18 ₦1,612

169.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 COP 3,474

$3.12 ₦4,253

-64.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 3,962

$1.30 ₦1,769

-3.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,349

$2.41 ₦3,294

-42.74%

Eggs

$2.18 COP 6,858

$1.49 ₦2,030

46.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 COP 14.1K

$5.12 ₦6,982

-12.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.79 COP 18.2K

$4.62 ₦6,306

25.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 28.2K

$3.84 ₦5,244

133.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 COP 7,308

$2.97 ₦4,046

-21.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,352

$1.70 ₦2,315

-37.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 4,774

$2.16 ₦2,948

-29.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,270

$1.77 ₦2,414

-23.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,552

$2.04 ₦2,784

-44.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,689

$2.54 ₦3,470

-53.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,838

$0.57 ₦775

57.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 2,823

$0.31 ₦428

190.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 COP 7,034

$2.52 ₦3,438

-11.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 COP 38.2K

$5.74 ₦7,824

111.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 3,743

$1.05 ₦1,438

13.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 7,815

$1.45 ₦1,983

71.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 COP 2,687

$0.68 ₦932

25.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 131.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,459

$0.86 ₦1,171

65.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 COP 6,141

$1.04 ₦1,417

87.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 COP 24.8K

$4.27 ₦5,821

84.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,118

$0.83 ₦1,131

19.28%

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

$17.6K COP 55.4M

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

$26.8K COP 84.4M

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

$83.0 COP 261.4K

$30.33 ₦41.4K

173.69%

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

$9.70 COP 30.5K

$11.03 ₦15.1K

-12.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 COP 74.1K

$41.89 ₦57.2K

-43.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.26 COP 79.5K

$45.38 ₦61.9K

-44.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 COP 60.1K

$10.65 ₦14.5K

79.34%

Cinema Ticket

$3.95 COP 12.4K

$8.22 ₦11.2K

-51.95%

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

$316 COP 994.2K

$133 ₦181.8K

136.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,975 COP 18.8M

$1,974 ₦2.7M

202.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 188.9K

$30.26 ₦41.3K

98.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 100.2K

$29.11 ₦39.7K

9.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 320.1K

$67.6 ₦92.2K

50.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 338.3K

$86.9 ₦118.5K

23.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 COP 1.5M

$2,445 ₦3.3M

-80.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 COP 1.2M

$1,158 ₦1.6M

-67.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 COP 2.7M

$5,503 ₦7.5M

-84.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 COP 2.3M

$2,717 ₦3.7M

-73.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,265 COP 10.3M

$700 ₦955.1K

366.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 COP 4.5M

$366 ₦499.0K

293.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 COP 2.0M

$167 ₦228.1K

273.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

22.5

-40.31%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Last update for Abuja: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $475 in Medellin and $2,445 in Abuja. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 273% 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 $45.00 in Abuja. Groceries flip the comparison at $193 vs $189, with Abuja 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

Medellin vs Abuja: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Abuja differ by about 65% in total monthly costs ($1,003 vs $1,650 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 273% 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: $475 in Medellin versus $2,445 in Abuja. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $316 in Medellin versus $133 in Abuja. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $45.00 in Abuja. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,003 in Medellin versus $1,650 in Abuja, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Abuja. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin 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.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 65% less than in Abuja. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.