Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Kumasi

For one person, living is cheaper in Kumasi: $495 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $13,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Kumasi, Ghana
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Kumasi
🇬🇭 Ghana
$495
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Kumasi

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $495 in Kumasi, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Kumasi $495

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $816 in Kumasi, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Kumasi $816

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,137 in Kumasi, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Kumasi $1,137

Medellin costs about 231% more than Kumasi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Kumasi is 64% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Kumasi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 26.1K
$3.45 GHS 40.13
134.49%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 151.7K
$33.93 GHS 395
38.67%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.6K
$10.33 GHS 120
-8.03%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,722
$1.09 GHS 12.70
176.15%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,801
$0.71 GHS 8.32
153.52%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,554
$0.27 GHS 3.17
422.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 10.2K
$0.93 GHS 10.80
241.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.5K
$1.71 GHS 19.91
236.26%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Kumasi
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,869
$1.79 GHS 20.89
-15.64%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,667
$1.61 GHS 18.73
47.83%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,712
$1.69 GHS 19.72
4.73%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,320
$2.39 GHS 27.85
20.92%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.9K
$5.79 GHS 67.5
75.99%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.8K
$4.55 GHS 53.0
116.92%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 45.1K
$4.79 GHS 55.8
192.07%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.8K
$1.74 GHS 20.31
128.16%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 5,005
$0.88 GHS 10.31
76.14%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,039
$0.88 GHS 10.29
147.73%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,041
$2.16 GHS 25.21
0.93%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,328
$1.73 GHS 20.16
13.29%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,125
$1.26 GHS 14.65
26.19%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,694
$0.71 GHS 8.25
61.97%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 4,009
$0.60 GHS 7.03
106.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.8K
$0.84 GHS 9.80
371.43%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 44.1K
$1.32 GHS 15.39
936.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,352
$1.23 GHS 14.33
34.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,281
$2.33 GHS 27.14
-3.00%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Kumasi
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,766
$0.55 GHS 6.36
112.73%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 249.5K
$20.62 GHS 240
275.22%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 4,089
$0.84 GHS 9.81
51.19%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,603
$1.32 GHS 15.34
55.30%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 27.6K
$1.67 GHS 19.44
411.98%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,343
$1.14 GHS 13.31
18.42%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 109.8M
$8,015 GHS 93.4K
325.05%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 111.8M
$20.3K GHS 236.6K
70.69%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Kumasi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 547.0K
$43.47 GHS 506
290.27%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 43.7K
$19.28 GHS 225
-29.72%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 90.5K
$43.32 GHS 505
-35.20%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Kumasi
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 140.9K
$29.97 GHS 349
45.81%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 55.4K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 22.3K
$13.11 GHS 153
-47.29%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Kumasi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.6M
$458 GHS 5,341
73.75%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 29.4M
$5,431 GHS 63.3K
67.78%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Kumasi
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 273.2K
$14.26 GHS 166
494.11%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 186.9K
$18.46 GHS 215
213.98%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 435.2K
$36.90 GHS 430
265.75%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 315.6K
$52.3 GHS 609
87.10%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Kumasi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.9M
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.1M
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.5M
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.3M
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.4M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.2M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Kumasi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
$415 GHS 4,840
58.17%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
26.75
-59.10%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Kumasi: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Kumasi
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Kumasi
$164 44.6% $133
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Kumasi
$106 49.8% $105
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Kumasi
$84 50.7% $86
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Kumasi
$55 67.5% $114
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Kumasi
$30 67.7% $63
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Kumasi
$56 2.3% $1.3

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 58% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $34 in Kumasi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $164 – making Kumasi the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇬🇭 Kumasi
🕒 Local time
23:49 11:49 PM
04:49 4:49 AM
5 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
1,517,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GHS, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Ghanaian Cedi exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 11.65 GHS (100 GHS = 8.58 USD). 1 EUR = 13.01 GHS (100 GHS = 7.69 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Kumasi 8,160 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Kumasi

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 Kumasi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Medellin and in Kumasi compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,639 in Medellin, $495 in Kumasi – Kumasi comes out roughly 70% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Medellin compared to Kumasi?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $743 in Kumasi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 81% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $34 in Kumasi. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Kumasi, where all-in costs run around $495, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Kumasi it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Medellin and Kumasi?
It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $495 in Kumasi to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
How do I decide between Medellin and Kumasi?
If budget matters most, go with Kumasi. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Medellin vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?