Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Jos

For one person, living is cheaper in Jos: $534 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
26

Cost of Living Index in Jos
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Jos Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Jos

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$534

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Jos

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $534 in Jos, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Jos $534

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,097 in Jos, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Jos $1,097

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,661 in Jos, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Jos $1,661

Medellin costs about 207% more than Jos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Jos is 61% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.6K

$2.04 ₦2,732

296.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.9K

$30.16 ₦40.5K

56.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$3.97 ₦5,331

139.29%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,540

$3.25 ₦4,362

-7.38%

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

$1.80 COP 5,693

$0.43 ₦572

318.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,469

$0.67 ₦897

110.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$1.02 ₦1,368

211.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.2K

$1.98 ₦2,661

190.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,778

$3.70 ₦4,963

-59.19%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,524

$0.87 ₦1,172

173.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,606

$2.19 ₦2,934

-19.18%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,146

$1.79 ₦2,400

61.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.2K

$9.95 ₦13.3K

2.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.2K

$5.02 ₦6,735

96.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.3K

$4.02 ₦5,390

248.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.6K

$2.00 ₦2,677

98.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,911

$1.45 ₦1,942

6.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,907

$1.51 ₦2,028

44.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,910

$2.27 ₦3,049

-3.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,210

$1.78 ₦2,393

10.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,029

$2.41 ₦3,233

-34.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,625

$0.59 ₦786

94.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,934

$0.40 ₦535

210.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$1.95 ₦2,621

103.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.3K

$5.93 ₦7,958

130.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,252

$1.20 ₦1,607

38.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,145

$1.77 ₦2,374

27.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,696

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 244.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,013

$0.58 ₦781

118.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,480

$0.87 ₦1,168

135.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.1K

$1.83 ₦2,456

367.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,262

$0.54 ₦723

150.00%

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

$34.1K COP 107.8M

$25.7K ₦34.4M

32.79%

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

$34.7K COP 109.7M

$36.3K ₦48.7M

-4.40%

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

$170 COP 536.8K

$100 ₦134.7K

69.06%

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

$13.55 COP 42.9K

$6.50 ₦8,722

108.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.8K

$28.97 ₦38.9K

-3.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 138.3K

$39.52 ₦53.0K

10.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.4K

$12.03 ₦16.1K

42.89%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.9K

$6.22 ₦8,341

11.09%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$44.67 ₦59.9K

1683.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.8M

$1,001 ₦1.3M

810.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 268.1K

$10.09 ₦13.5K

739.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 183.4K

$14.98 ₦20.1K

286.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 427.1K

$51.0 ₦68.4K

164.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 309.7K

$50.1 ₦67.2K

95.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$554 ₦744.0K

265.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$483 ₦647.4K

109.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.2M

$2,030 ₦2.7M

105.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$1,485 ₦2.0M

28.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$102 ₦136.5K

545.77%

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 Jos: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Jos

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Jos

$203 38.1% 31.5% $94

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Jos

$136 25.5% 35.7% $75

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Jos

$81 15.1% 52.4% $89

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Jos

$57 10.6% 66.4% $112

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Jos

$4.9 * 0.9% 94.7% $89

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Jos

$52 9.7% 9.7% $5.6

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries in Medellin are about 6.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $30 in Jos. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $203 – making Jos the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇳🇬 Jos

🕒 Local time

20:55 8:55 PM

02:55 2:55 AM

6 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

900,000

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Nigerian Naira NGN ₦

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.16 USD

10,000 COP = 2.84 EUR

10,000 NGN = 7.45 USD

10,000 NGN = 6.69 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 October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,164 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,523 COP (10,000 COP = 2.84 EUR).

Nigerian Naira exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1,342 NGN (10,000 NGN = 7.45 USD). 1 EUR = 1,494 NGN (10,000 NGN = 6.69 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Jos 9,290 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Jos

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 Jos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,639 in Medellin, $534 in Jos – Jos comes out roughly 67% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $800 in Jos. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $30 in Jos. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 46% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Jos, where all-in costs run around $534, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Jos it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $534 in Jos to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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