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: $1,031 in Medellin versus $1,049 in Lome.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $1,501 in Lome.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $1,954 in Lome.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 2% less than in Lome, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Lome 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$2.17 F CFA 1,248

183.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$32.09 F CFA 18.4K

1.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$5.16 F CFA 2,964

42.25%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,599

$5.62 F CFA 3,229

-69.40%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$3.46 F CFA 1,984

-69.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$1.11 F CFA 636

-30.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,487

$0.86 F CFA 493

96.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$1.80 F CFA 1,034

76.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$2.42 F CFA 1,390

-56.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$1.31 F CFA 751

-0.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$1.81 F CFA 1,037

-22.65%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,046

$2.06 F CFA 1,186

4.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$14.16 F CFA 8,128

-69.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$8.21 F CFA 4,711

-28.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$9.37 F CFA 5,381

-7.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,425

$2.67 F CFA 1,532

-14.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,603

$1.43 F CFA 819

-22.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,982

$2.62 F CFA 1,506

-41.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$2.52 F CFA 1,447

-46.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$1.80 F CFA 1,033

-37.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$1.75 F CFA 1,004

-35.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$0.55 F CFA 313

54.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$0.87 F CFA 497

4.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,629

$1.43 F CFA 821

63.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$4.66 F CFA 2,676

165.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$1.38 F CFA 794

-13.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$1.57 F CFA 901

58.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,727

$0.34 F CFA 194

147.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

$53.9 F CFA 30.9K

-24.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$2.04 F CFA 1,173

-30.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$0.73 F CFA 421

163.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$5.24 F CFA 3,008

46.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$1.25 F CFA 720

-20.80%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$14.1K F CFA 8.1M

27.80%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$25.8K F CFA 14.8M

3.20%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$178 F CFA 102.4K

-54.70%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$21.67 F CFA 12.4K

-54.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$43.41 F CFA 24.9K

-44.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.6K

$49.00 F CFA 28.1K

-48.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$8.73 F CFA 5,013

119.36%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$4.29 F CFA 2,465

-7.23%

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

$305 COP 993.4K

$173 F CFA 99.3K

76.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$5,151 F CFA 3.0M

17.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$24.78 F CFA 14.2K

134.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$27.41 F CFA 15.7K

17.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$40.82 F CFA 23.4K

146.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$96.1 F CFA 55.2K

12.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$363 F CFA 208.6K

31.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$221 F CFA 126.6K

70.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$757 F CFA 434.6K

11.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$302 F CFA 173.4K

141.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

$261 F CFA 149.9K

136.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

67.88%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Last update for Lome: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $363 in Lome. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 136% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $32.00 in Lome. Groceries flip the comparison at $193 vs $250, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.

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

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Lome. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 136% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $477 in Medellin versus $363 in Lome. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Medellin versus $173 in Lome. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Lome. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,031 in Medellin versus $1,049 in Lome, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Lome. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,031 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Lome. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.