Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Jimma

For one person, living is cheaper in Jimma: $1,057 a month against $1,589 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Medellin outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,589

/mo nomad

Jimma

🇪🇹 Ethiopia

$1,057

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Jimma

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

A single person spends $1,589 per month in Medellin vs $1,057 in Jimma, rent included.

Medellin $1,589
Jimma $1,057

A couple spends around $2,364 per month in Medellin vs $1,424 in Jimma, rent included.

Medellin $2,364
Jimma $1,424

A family of three spends $3,139 per month in Medellin vs $1,792 in Jimma, rent included.

Medellin $3,139
Jimma $1,792

Medellin costs about 50% more than Jimma, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Jimma is 21% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.01 COP 25.5K

$4.65 ETB 747

72.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 COP 148.3K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 COP 30.1K

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,277

$1.17 ETB 188

148.72%

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

$1.75 COP 5,585

$0.59 ETB 95.2

196.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 COP 4,218

$0.44 ETB 70.0

200.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 COP 9,969

$2.81 ETB 452

11.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 COP 17.7K

$1.43 ETB 230

288.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 COP 4,495

$1.15 ETB 185

22.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 COP 7,777

$0.36 ETB 58.1

577.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,191

$1.12 ETB 180

45.54%

Eggs

$2.82 COP 8,990

$4.02 ETB 646

-29.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 COP 30.9K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 COP 29.7K

$11.49 ETB 1,847

-18.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.46 COP 42.9K

$11.42 ETB 1,835

17.86%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 COP 12.8K

$2.30 ETB 370

73.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,719

$1.12 ETB 180

32.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 COP 6,768

$3.45 ETB 555

-38.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,178

$0.58 ETB 93.8

287.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 COP 6,092

$0.55 ETB 87.7

247.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 COP 5,160

$3.35 ETB 538

-51.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,658

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 COP 4,021

$0.58 ETB 93.7

117.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 COP 12.2K

Wine (Bottle)

$13.11 COP 41.8K

$6.63 ETB 1,065

97.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 5,083

$1.16 ETB 187

37.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,188

$1.45 ETB 234

55.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,731

$0.22 ETB 35.27

431.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.0 COP 239.0K

$13.38 ETB 2,150

460.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,056

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,531

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.20 COP 26.1K

$1.72 ETB 276

376.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 COP 4,046

$1.74 ETB 279

-27.01%

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

$26.8K COP 85.3M

$51.2K ETB 8.2M

-47.75%

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

$34.4K COP 109.6M

$58.0K ETB 9.3M

-40.64%

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

$162 COP 516.9K

$63.4 ETB 10.2K

155.69%

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

$13.12 COP 41.8K

$36.28 ETB 5,829

-63.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.09 COP 89.5K

$313 ETB 50.3K

-91.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.33 COP 141.2K

$34.06 ETB 5,474

30.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 COP 52.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 COP 19.4K

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

$764 COP 2.4M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,904 COP 28.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.0 COP 270.8K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 COP 183.2K

$92.7 ETB 14.9K

-37.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 COP 419.8K

$139 ETB 22.3K

-5.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 COP 305.1K

$115 ETB 18.5K

-16.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$208 ETB 33.4K

395.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 COP 1.9M

$160 ETB 25.7K

278.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,802 COP 5.7M

$415 ETB 66.7K

334.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$993 COP 3.2M

$310 ETB 49.9K

219.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,921 COP 12.5M

$2,229 ETB 358.2K

75.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,639 COP 5.2M

$1,117 ETB 179.4K

46.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 COP 2.0M

$227 ETB 36.5K

175.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

21.56%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Last update for Jimma: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$604 38.3%

Jimma

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$288 18.3%

Jimma

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$203 12.9%

Jimma

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Jimma

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Jimma

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$91 5.8%

Jimma

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.6%

Jimma

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $208 in Jimma. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 176% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇪🇹 Jimma

🕒 Local time

05:13 5:13 AM

13:13 1:13 PM

8 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

207,573

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Ethiopian Birr ETB Br

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR

1,000 ETB = 6.22 USD

1,000 ETB = 5.55 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ETB, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,187 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,571 COP (10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR).

Ethiopian Birr exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 161 ETB (1,000 ETB = 6.22 USD). 1 EUR = 180 ETB (1,000 ETB = 5.55 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Jimma 12,360 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Jimma

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 Jimma: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 50%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,384 per month in Medellin and $1,585 in Jimma. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Jimma, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 44% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

Public transport costs about 461% less in Jimma. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Jimma, where all-in costs run around $1,057, than in Medellin at $1,589. In Jimma it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Jimma – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Jimma. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.