Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ikeja

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,692 a month against $2,409 in Ikeja, rent and utilities included – about $8,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Ikeja outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
116

Cost of Living Index in Ikeja
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Ikeja Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Ikeja

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$2,409

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Ikeja

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

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $2,409 in Ikeja, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Ikeja $2,409

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $4,149 in Ikeja, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Ikeja $4,149

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $5,890 in Ikeja, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Ikeja $5,890

Medellin is about 30% cheaper than Ikeja, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Medellin and Ikeja sit above the global median – Medellin by 25%, Ikeja by 78%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 26.9K

$0.54 ₦719

1444.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.3K

$11.14 ₦15.0K

317.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.6K

$7.50 ₦10.1K

26.27%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.1K

$2.86 ₦3,832

9.44%

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

$1.77 COP 5,705

$0.14 ₦191

1164.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,601

$0.07 ₦96.4

1928.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$0.31 ₦421

916.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.4K

$2.05 ₦2,750

178.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,950

$0.76 ₦1,023

101.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,401

$0.72 ₦960

218.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,282

$1.21 ₦1,625

60.33%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,905

$2.23 ₦2,996

37.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.3K

$3.58 ₦4,805

179.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.7K

$3.96 ₦5,313

163.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.1K

$4.34 ₦5,821

221.66%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$1.62 ₦2,169

150.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,937

$1.27 ₦1,710

20.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,797

$1.14 ₦1,530

84.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,409

$1.48 ₦1,985

54.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,813

$1.54 ₦2,066

37.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,521

$1.57 ₦2,102

8.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,780

$0.85 ₦1,138

37.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,104

$0.39 ₦529

305.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.6K

$0.54 ₦727

624.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.4K

$2.36 ₦3,168

494.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,690

$0.53 ₦716

232.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,760

$0.46 ₦620

489.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,811

$0.12 ₦155

883.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 246.4K

$3.45 ₦4,633

2111.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,836

$0.65 ₦879

178.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,878

$0.90 ₦1,207

136.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.3K

$2.19 ₦2,941

271.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,119

$0.14 ₦187

814.29%

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

$34.4K COP 111.2M

$11.0K ₦14.7M

213.78%

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

$34.1K COP 110.3M

$28.6K ₦38.4M

19.27%

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

$178 COP 574.1K

$111 ₦148.5K

60.64%

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

$13.89 COP 44.9K

$14.89 ₦20.0K

-6.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.3K

$32.93 ₦44.2K

-6.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 135.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.3K

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.1K

$6.07 ₦8,145

23.06%

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

$790 COP 2.6M

$659 ₦884.7K

19.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.7M

$19.4K ₦26.1M

-36.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 278.9K

$14.80 ₦19.9K

483.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 191.4K

$17.73 ₦23.8K

234.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 446.9K

$35.66 ₦47.9K

287.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 319.2K

$49.16 ₦66.0K

101.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$3,536 ₦4.7M

-62.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$1,985 ₦2.7M

-66.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$6,548 ₦8.8M

-69.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$5,077 ₦6.8M

-79.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

$74.2 ₦99.5K

771.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

18.39

-40.51%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Ikeja: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Ikeja

$2K 82.4% 198% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Ikeja

$124 5.1% 59.7% $183

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Ikeja

$158 6.6% 28.7% $64

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Ikeja

$68 2.8% 60.9% $105

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Ikeja

$53 2.2% 69.3% $119

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Ikeja

$9.1 0.4% 90.3% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Ikeja

$12 * 0.5% 78.7% $45

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $3,536 in Ikeja. 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 8.7 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $11 in Ikeja. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $124 – making Ikeja the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇳🇬 Ikeja

🕒 Local time

00:59 12:59 AM

06:59 6:59 AM

6 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

861,300

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Nigerian Naira NGN ₦

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

10,000 NGN = 7.45 USD

10,000 NGN = 6.64 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 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3,230 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,626 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

Nigerian Naira exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1,342 NGN (10,000 NGN = 7.45 USD). 1 EUR = 1,507 NGN (10,000 NGN = 6.64 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Ikeja 8,710 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Ikeja

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 Ikeja: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ikeja costs about 42% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from utilities. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $3,614 in Ikeja. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,341 there versus $3,536 in Ikeja.

Interestingly, groceries are about 60% cheaper in Ikeja – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $11 in Ikeja. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,692 in Medellin to $2,409 in Ikeja. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.