Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Lagos

For one person, living is cheaper in Lagos: $952 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
46

Cost of Living Index in Lagos
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Lagos Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Lagos

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$952

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Lagos

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $952 in Lagos, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Lagos $952

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,852 in Lagos, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Lagos $1,852

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,753 in Lagos, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Lagos $2,753

Medellin costs about 72% more than Lagos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Lagos is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$3.62 ₦4,868

123.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$50.7 ₦68.1K

-7.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$7.67 ₦10.3K

23.86%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$2.82 ₦3,791

6.74%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$0.43 ₦580

318.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$0.24 ₦325

487.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$0.97 ₦1,309

227.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$1.95 ₦2,628

194.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$3.20 ₦4,308

-52.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$1.49 ₦2,004

59.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$1.26 ₦1,698

40.48%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$2.27 ₦3,055

27.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$3.42 ₦4,603

197.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$3.77 ₦5,067

161.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$4.36 ₦5,864

220.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$1.63 ₦2,194

143.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$1.33 ₦1,785

16.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$1.13 ₦1,519

92.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$1.49 ₦2,006

46.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$1.61 ₦2,165

21.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$1.52 ₦2,044

4.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$0.89 ₦1,194

29.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.40 ₦533

210.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$0.55 ₦737

620.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$2.37 ₦3,190

477.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$0.54 ₦722

207.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

$0.50 ₦668

352.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$0.38 ₦514

207.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$21.99 ₦29.6K

251.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$0.70 ₦938

81.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

$0.97 ₦1,301

111.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$2.10 ₦2,831

307.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$0.85 ₦1,141

58.82%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$11.3K ₦15.2M

201.28%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$29.0K ₦39.0M

19.58%

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$112 ₦150.1K

51.96%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$14.92 ₦20.1K

-9.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$32.44 ₦43.6K

-13.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$27.80 ₦37.4K

57.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$6.91 ₦9,295

148.77%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$6.23 ₦8,379

10.91%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$654 ₦879.5K

21.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$20.1K ₦27.0M

-54.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$14.83 ₦19.9K

471.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

$17.94 ₦24.1K

223.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

$36.62 ₦49.3K

268.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$47.49 ₦63.9K

106.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$704 ₦947.1K

71.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$417 ₦561.4K

53.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$2,809 ₦3.8M

-27.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$1,498 ₦2.0M

-32.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$3,242 ₦4.4M

28.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$1,607 ₦2.2M

18.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$118 ₦158.5K

457.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

18.39

-40.51%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Lagos: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Lagos

$417 43.9% 34.9% $224

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Lagos

$156 16.4% 47.5% $141

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Lagos

$159 16.7% 24.7% $52

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Lagos

$97 10.2% 42.7% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Lagos

$53 5.5% 68.9% $116

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Lagos

$29 3.1% 68.9% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Lagos

$40 4.2% 30% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $704 in Lagos. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Medellin are about 5.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $51 in Lagos. Groceries tell a different story – $297 in Medellin vs $156 in Lagos – so Lagos wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇳🇬 Lagos

🕒 Local time

23:55 11:55 PM

05:55 5:55 AM

6 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

10,404,112

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Nigerian Naira NGN ₦

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

10,000 NGN = 7.44 USD

10,000 NGN = 6.66 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Nigerian Naira exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1,345 NGN (10,000 NGN = 7.44 USD). 1 EUR = 1,502 NGN (10,000 NGN = 6.66 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Lagos 8,720 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Lagos

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 Lagos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 72% more than Lagos, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,427 in Lagos. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lagos, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $704 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Medellin and $654 in Lagos. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 90% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $1,639 in Medellin and $952 in Lagos. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Lagos – 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 Lagos. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.