Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Abuja

For one person, living is cheaper in Abuja: $991 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $7,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
48

Cost of Living Index in Abuja
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Abuja Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Abuja

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$991

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Abuja

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 Abuja actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $991 in Abuja.

Medellin $1,639
Abuja $991

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $1,872 in Abuja.

Medellin $2,413
Abuja $1,872

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $2,753 in Abuja.

Medellin $3,186
Abuja $2,753

Living in Medellin is roughly 66% more expensive than in Abuja, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Abuja is 27% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$1.94 ₦2,611

317.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$30.33 ₦40.8K

55.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$4.08 ₦5,483

132.84%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$3.28 ₦4,415

-8.23%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$0.43 ₦575

318.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$0.71 ₦959

98.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$0.97 ₦1,306

227.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$1.97 ₦2,656

191.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$3.59 ₦4,830

-57.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$1.29 ₦1,737

84.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$2.27 ₦3,058

-22.03%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$1.81 ₦2,428

59.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$11.11 ₦14.9K

-8.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$5.35 ₦7,189

84.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$5.82 ₦7,822

140.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$2.07 ₦2,785

91.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$1.50 ₦2,013

3.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$1.52 ₦2,046

43.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$2.29 ₦3,078

-4.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$1.79 ₦2,401

9.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$2.48 ₦3,335

-35.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$0.59 ₦797

94.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.39 ₦528

217.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$1.96 ₦2,633

102.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$5.83 ₦7,845

134.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$1.20 ₦1,610

38.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

$1.85 ₦2,492

22.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$0.46 ₦622

154.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$32.58 ₦43.8K

137.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$0.61 ₦826

108.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

$0.81 ₦1,090

153.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$1.85 ₦2,482

362.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$0.57 ₦768

136.84%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$26.1K ₦35.1M

30.47%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$37.3K ₦50.2M

-7.11%

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$110 ₦148.3K

53.86%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$6.48 ₦8,717

109.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$29.14 ₦39.2K

-3.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$25.74 ₦34.6K

69.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$9.62 ₦12.9K

78.69%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$6.31 ₦8,485

9.51%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$44.68 ₦60.1K

1682.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$3,103 ₦4.2M

193.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$26.03 ₦35.0K

225.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

$60.8 ₦81.7K

-4.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

$76.5 ₦102.9K

76.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$105 ₦141.8K

-7.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$589 ₦792.6K

104.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$348 ₦467.4K

84.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$1,405 ₦1.9M

44.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$1,346 ₦1.8M

-24.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$699 ₦940.4K

496.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$378 ₦508.7K

405.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$162 ₦218.3K

304.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

22.5

-51.38%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Abuja: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Abuja

$348 35.1% 45.8% $294

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Abuja

$218 22% 26.5% $79

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Abuja

$146 14.7% 31% $65

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Abuja

$81 8.1% 52.5% $89

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Abuja

$121 12.2% 28.4% $48

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Abuja

$39 4% 58.2% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Abuja

$38 3.9% 33.3% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $589 in Abuja. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays about 4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $30 in Abuja for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $218 per month, with Abuja cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇳🇬 Abuja

🕒 Local time

19:06 7:06 PM

01:06 1:06 AM

6 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

776,298 Capital

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Nigerian Naira NGN ₦

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

10,000 NGN = 7.44 USD

10,000 NGN = 6.66 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Nigerian Naira exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1,345 NGN (10,000 NGN = 7.44 USD). 1 EUR = 1,502 NGN (10,000 NGN = 6.66 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Between locations

Medellin Abuja 9,140 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Abuja

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 Abuja: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $991 in Abuja, so Abuja is about 40% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Medellin is about 4 times higher, 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: $1,208 in Medellin versus $589 in Abuja. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $1,639 per month in Medellin versus $991 in Abuja – Abuja is about 40% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Abuja runs roughly 58% less than in Medellin. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $991 in Abuja versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Abuja but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Abuja 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 Abuja gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.