Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Lome

For one person, living is cheaper in Lome: $560 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most 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

$1,639

/mo nomad

Lome

🇹🇬 Togo

$560

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Lome

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $560 in Lome.

Medellin $1,639
Lome $560

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $992 in Lome.

Medellin $2,413
Lome $992

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $1,424 in Lome.

Medellin $3,186
Lome $1,424

Living in Medellin is roughly 193% more expensive than in Lome, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Lome is 59% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.4K

$2.86 F CFA 1,683

182.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.0K

$30.57 F CFA 18.0K

53.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 29.9K

$5.52 F CFA 3,250

72.10%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,485

$5.74 F CFA 3,382

-47.56%

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

$1.80 COP 5,660

$4.14 F CFA 2,436

-56.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,443

$0.75 F CFA 445

88.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 9,990

$0.90 F CFA 527

253.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$1.73 F CFA 1,019

232.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,751

$2.30 F CFA 1,355

-34.35%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,480

$1.30 F CFA 764

83.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,573

$1.48 F CFA 874

19.59%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,093

$1.96 F CFA 1,156

47.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.1K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.1K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.0K

$5.49 F CFA 3,230

154.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.5K

$3.03 F CFA 1,787

31.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,883

$1.73 F CFA 1,017

-10.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,867

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,870

$2.60 F CFA 1,529

-16.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,174

$1.74 F CFA 1,025

12.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,000

$1.22 F CFA 717

30.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,604

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,911

$0.84 F CFA 492

47.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.0K

$4.70 F CFA 2,769

191.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,221

$1.13 F CFA 668

46.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,103

$1.41 F CFA 832

60.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,674

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 3,989

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,442

$1.17 F CFA 691

75.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

$4.35 F CFA 2,560

96.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,237

$1.20 F CFA 707

12.50%

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

$34.1K COP 107.2M

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

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

$170 COP 533.7K

$146 F CFA 86.1K

16.08%

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

$13.55 COP 42.6K

$20.99 F CFA 12.4K

-35.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.3K

$42.24 F CFA 24.9K

-33.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

$60.1 F CFA 35.4K

-27.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

$8.71 F CFA 5,127

97.36%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.7K

$4.31 F CFA 2,540

60.32%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 266.5K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 182.3K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 424.6K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 307.9K

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

$1,203 F CFA 708.3K

68.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$295 F CFA 173.8K

242.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$295 F CFA 173.8K

122.59%

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 25, 2026

Last update for Lome: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Lome

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Lome

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Lome

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Lome

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Lome

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Lome

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Lome

–

Cost Breakdown

Medellin pays about 2.2 times more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $31 in Lome for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $140 per month, with Lome cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇹🇬 Lome

🕒 Local time

17:10 5:10 PM

22:10 10:10 PM

5 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

837,437 Capital

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

1,000 XOF = 1.7 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

West African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 589 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.7 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 Lome 8,480 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Lome

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 Lome: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lome wins on cost – living expenses run 66% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Lome the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Medellin is about 2.2 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

All in, you’ll spend $1,639 per month in Medellin versus $560 in Lome – Lome is about 66% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Supermarket bills run roughly 112% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $560 in Lome versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $800 budget is realistic in Lome but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Lome 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.

It comes down to priorities – Lome wins on affordability, Medellin on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.