Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kpalime

For one person, living is cheaper in Kpalime: $128 a month against $1,589 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $17,500 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

$1,589

/mo nomad

Kpalime

🇹🇬 Togo

$128

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Kpalime

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,589 in Medellin versus $128 in Kpalime.

Medellin $1,589
Kpalime $128

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,364 in Medellin versus $243 in Kpalime.

Medellin $2,364
Kpalime $243

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,139 in Medellin versus $358 in Kpalime.

Medellin $3,139
Kpalime $358

Living in Medellin is roughly 1146% more expensive than in Kpalime, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Kpalime is 90% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.01 COP 25.5K

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

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

$1.75 COP 5,585

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 COP 4,218

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 COP 9,969

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 COP 17.7K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 COP 4,495

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 COP 7,777

$0.83 F CFA 487

193.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,191

Eggs

$2.82 COP 8,990

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 COP 30.9K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 COP 29.7K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.46 COP 42.9K

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 COP 12.8K

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,719

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 COP 6,768

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,178

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 COP 6,092

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 COP 5,160

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,658

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 COP 4,021

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 COP 12.2K

Wine (Bottle)

$13.11 COP 41.8K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 5,083

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,188

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,731

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.0 COP 239.0K

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

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 COP 4,046

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

$26.8K COP 85.3M

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

$34.4K COP 109.6M

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

$162 COP 516.9K

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

$13.12 COP 41.8K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.09 COP 89.5K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.33 COP 141.2K

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

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 COP 419.8K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 COP 305.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$252 F CFA 147.5K

307.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 COP 1.9M

$121 F CFA 70.8K

399.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,802 COP 5.7M

$428 F CFA 250.5K

320.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$993 COP 3.2M

$343 F CFA 200.7K

189.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,921 COP 12.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,639 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 COP 2.0M

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: October 6, 2026

Last update for Kpalime: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$604 38.3%

Kpalime

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$288 18.3%

Kpalime

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$203 12.9%

Kpalime

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Kpalime

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Kpalime

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$91 5.8%

Kpalime

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.6%

Kpalime

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,028 in Medellin and $252 in Kpalime. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇹🇬 Kpalime

🕒 Local time

08:05 8:05 AM

13:05 1:05 PM

5 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

75,000

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR

1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XOF, 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).

West African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 585 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Kpalime 8,410 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Kpalime

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 Kpalime: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kpalime is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. The 1146% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,384 in Medellin and $191 in Kpalime 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,028 in Medellin versus $252 in Kpalime. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3363% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,589 per month in Medellin versus $128 in Kpalime – a 1146% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $128 in Kpalime versus $1,589 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kpalime but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Kpalime the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kpalime is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Kpalime gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1146% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.