Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ibadan Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ibadan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,013 in Medellin versus $812 in Ibadan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,520 in Ibadan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $2,229 in Ibadan.

Living in Medellin is roughly 25% more expensive than Ibadan, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Ibadan 39% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.3K

$1.83 ₦2,488

227.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 116.9K

$29.27 ₦39.8K

12.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.2K

$5.47 ₦7,426

29.62%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,093

$1.03 ₦1,405

66.02%

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

$1.10 COP 3,910

$0.29 ₦395

279.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,771

$0.19 ₦260

310.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,976

$0.76 ₦1,035

121.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 10.9K

$1.26 ₦1,714

143.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,892

$2.35 ₦3,187

-53.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,492

$1.15 ₦1,563

9.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,905

$2.06 ₦2,802

-33.01%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,799

$1.72 ₦2,330

27.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$4.37 ₦5,943

0.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.0K

$4.29 ₦5,827

31.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.6K

$4.18 ₦5,684

112.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,319

$2.47 ₦3,357

-5.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,764

$1.21 ₦1,648

-12.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,355

$1.24 ₦1,679

20.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,906

$1.63 ₦2,214

-15.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,097

$2.16 ₦2,934

-46.76%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,141

$1.55 ₦2,109

-25.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,170

$0.92 ₦1,254

-3.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,986

$0.32 ₦439

162.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,116

$1.26 ₦1,705

80.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 37.9K

$1.02 ₦1,384

943.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,268

$0.63 ₦858

90.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,793

$0.89 ₦1,211

177.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,045

$0.36 ₦483

138.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.3K

$36.42 ₦49.5K

13.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,245

$1.24 ₦1,681

18.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 6,984

$1.04 ₦1,417

88.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.5K

$3.68 ₦5,005

110.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,397

$0.57 ₦769

66.67%

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

$18.1K COP 64.5M

$9,512 ₦12.9M

90.61%

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

$26.5K COP 94.2M

$14.2K ₦19.2M

86.99%

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

$82.3 COP 292.7K

$20.99 ₦28.5K

291.85%

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

$9.50 COP 33.8K

$7.46 ₦10.1K

27.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.2K

$19.75 ₦26.8K

22.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.1K

$29.50 ₦40.1K

-12.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.6K

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$2.67 ₦3,628

47.19%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$50.4 ₦68.5K

513.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.2M

$1,910 ₦2.6M

212.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 208.7K

$18.37 ₦24.9K

219.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.1K

$24.43 ₦33.2K

32.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 365.1K

$43.76 ₦59.4K

134.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 385.8K

$29.58 ₦40.2K

266.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$451 ₦612.8K

5.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$433 ₦588.5K

-12.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$1,214 ₦1.6M

-30.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$1,291 ₦1.8M

-43.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

$846 ₦1.1M

229.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$28.82 ₦39.1K

4103.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$55.9 ₦75.9K

816.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

16.33

-17.76%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Ibadan: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $451 in Ibadan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 816% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $29.00 in Ibadan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $154 per month, with Ibadan 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 Ibadan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ibadan wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ibadan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Medellin pays 816% more on average, 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: $476 in Medellin versus $451 in Ibadan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $50.4 in Ibadan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $812 in Ibadan versus $1,013 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ibadan but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Ibadan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ibadan delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $812 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ibadan hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Ibadan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.