Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kano

For one person, living is cheaper in Kano: $96.9 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $19,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Kano

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$96.9

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Kano

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,692 in Medellin versus $97 in Kano.

Medellin $1,692
Kano $97

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,471 in Medellin versus $179 in Kano.

Medellin $2,471
Kano $179

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,249 in Medellin versus $262 in Kano.

Medellin $3,249
Kano $262

Living in Medellin is roughly 1647% more expensive than in Kano, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Kano is 93% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 26.9K

$1.72 ₦2,314

384.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.3K

$15.21 ₦20.4K

205.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.6K

$6.31 ₦8,468

50.08%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.1K

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

$1.77 COP 5,705

$0.19 ₦248

831.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,601

$0.15 ₦197

846.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$0.31 ₦420

916.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.4K

$0.29 ₦383

1865.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,950

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,401

$0.65 ₦868

252.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,282

$0.55 ₦736

252.73%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,905

$0.89 ₦1,190

244.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.3K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.7K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.1K

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,937

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,797

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,409

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,813

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,521

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,780

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,104

$0.59 ₦787

167.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.6K

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.4K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,690

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,760

$0.31 ₦418

774.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,811

$0.27 ₦360

337.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 246.4K

$12.22 ₦16.4K

524.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,836

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,878

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.3K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,119

$0.48 ₦642

166.67%

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

$34.4K COP 111.2M

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

$34.1K COP 110.3M

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

$178 COP 574.1K

$7.34 ₦9,854

2321.39%

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

$13.89 COP 44.9K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.3K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 135.5K

$20.20 ₦27.1K

107.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.3K

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.1K

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

$790 COP 2.6M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 278.9K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 191.4K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 446.9K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 319.2K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

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

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Kano: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Kano

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Kano

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Kano

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Kano

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Kano

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Kano

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Kano

–

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $15 in Kano for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $307 vs $20 per month, with Kano cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇳🇬 Kano

🕒 Local time

01:00 1:00 AM

07:00 7:00 AM

6 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

2,395,375

💱 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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Between locations

Medellin Kano 9,230 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Kano

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 Kano: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,692 in Medellin and $97 in Kano, so Kano is about 94% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $2,538 in Medellin and $145 in Kano to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Dining out is cheaper in Kano – a meal for two runs $15 versus $47 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Kano runs roughly 84% less than in Medellin. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $97 in Kano versus $1,692 in Medellin, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Kano but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Kano the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.