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: $1,641 in Medellin versus $250 in Ibadan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $558 in Ibadan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $866 in Ibadan.

Living in Medellin is roughly 556% more expensive than in Ibadan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Ibadan is 82% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$1.11 ₦1,476

624.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$30.24 ₦40.1K

59.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$6.09 ₦8,073

54.68%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$0.80 ₦1,066

267.50%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$0.20 ₦265

830.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.12 ₦153

1116.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$0.58 ₦771

453.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$1.15 ₦1,528

396.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$0.59 ₦787

144.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$0.60 ₦791

300.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$1.11 ₦1,476

53.15%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$1.53 ₦2,034

88.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$3.52 ₦4,667

185.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$3.89 ₦5,153

156.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$0.75 ₦993

1793.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$1.67 ₦2,209

138.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.32 ₦1,743

19.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$1.13 ₦1,501

90.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$0.29 ₦382

693.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$0.58 ₦774

244.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$0.24 ₦319

529.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$0.22 ₦290

445.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.14 ₦181

814.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$0.59 ₦784

550.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$1.12 ₦1,482

1150.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$0.41 ₦542

317.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$0.46 ₦616

495.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$0.12 ₦162

941.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$0.70 ₦933

87.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$0.62 ₦827

250.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$1.13 ₦1,492

633.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$0.55 ₦734

147.27%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$4,162 ₦5.5M

560.15%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$14.0K ₦18.5M

161.79%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$11.27 ₦14.9K

1397.07%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$3.81 ₦5,047

256.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$9.06 ₦12.0K

212.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$21.77 ₦28.9K

109.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$1.54 ₦2,035

331.82%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$48.73 ₦64.6K

1548.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$627 ₦831.4K

1364.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$12.16 ₦16.1K

618.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$5.80 ₦7,689

923.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$15.07 ₦20.0K

821.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$21.64 ₦28.7K

371.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$124 ₦164.4K

763.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$45.33 ₦60.1K

1340.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$461 ₦611.0K

317.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$308 ₦408.2K

240.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$875 ₦1.2M

371.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$30.87 ₦40.9K

5398.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$58.2 ₦77.2K

1024.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

18.05

-39.39%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Ibadan: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $124 in Ibadan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 1025% 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: $48.00 in Medellin vs $30.00 in Ibadan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $87.0 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 556% 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.

Average pay runs 1025% 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: $1,071 in Medellin versus $124 in Ibadan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $803 in Medellin versus $48.73 in Ibadan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Ibadan – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $250 in Ibadan versus $1,641 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 $250 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 556% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.