Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Lome Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Lome

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $590 in Lome.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $1,024 in Lome.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $1,458 in Lome.

Living in Medellin is roughly 178% more expensive than in Lome, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Lome is 57% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$3.09 F CFA 1,743

160.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$32.15 F CFA 18.2K

50.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$5.64 F CFA 3,186

67.02%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$6.16 F CFA 3,481

-52.27%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$4.27 F CFA 2,413

-56.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.74 F CFA 415

97.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$0.93 F CFA 527

245.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$1.79 F CFA 1,010

218.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$2.28 F CFA 1,291

-36.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$1.35 F CFA 762

77.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$1.52 F CFA 859

11.84%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$2.02 F CFA 1,139

43.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$5.82 F CFA 3,288

143.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$3.14 F CFA 1,774

26.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.75 F CFA 991

-9.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$2.62 F CFA 1,481

-12.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$1.73 F CFA 977

15.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$1.22 F CFA 692

23.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.92 F CFA 520

39.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$4.93 F CFA 2,783

184.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$1.16 F CFA 658

47.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$1.46 F CFA 827

87.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$1.20 F CFA 681

80.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$4.42 F CFA 2,497

87.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.19 F CFA 671

14.29%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$148 F CFA 83.8K

13.75%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$22.34 F CFA 12.6K

-39.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$44.11 F CFA 24.9K

-35.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$61.7 F CFA 34.8K

-25.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$9.01 F CFA 5,090

91.12%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$4.51 F CFA 2,547

47.45%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$1,224 F CFA 691.5K

57.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$301 F CFA 170.3K

247.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$309 F CFA 174.6K

111.95%

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: September 7, 2026

Last update for Lome: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Medellin pays 112% 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: $48.00 in Medellin vs $32.00 in Lome for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $145 per month, with Lome cheaper across the board.

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 178% 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 runs 112% higher in Medellin, 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 $1,641 per month in Medellin versus $590 in Lome – a 178% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 108% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $590 in Lome versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $1,000 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 work as nomad bases, but Lome delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $590 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lome hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Lome gentler on the wallet – expenses run 178% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.