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: $1,014 in Medellin versus $1,028 in Lome.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,596 in Medellin versus $1,520 in Lome.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,178 in Medellin versus $2,012 in Lome.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 1% less than in Lome, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 25% lower, Lome 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.14 COP 22.2K

$2.18 F CFA 1,219

181.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.05 COP 119.3K

$31.89 F CFA 17.8K

3.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.32 COP 26.4K

$5.15 F CFA 2,876

42.14%

Cappuccino

$1.66 COP 5,987

$5.90 F CFA 3,291

-71.86%

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

$1.10 COP 3,987

$3.38 F CFA 1,888

-67.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,822

$1.11 F CFA 621

-29.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.71 COP 6,188

$0.84 F CFA 472

103.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 11.5K

$1.71 F CFA 955

85.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 COP 4,012

$2.42 F CFA 1,353

-54.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,719

$1.26 F CFA 706

3.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,980

$1.85 F CFA 1,031

-25.41%

Eggs

$2.22 COP 8,009

$2.06 F CFA 1,148

7.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.34 COP 15.7K

$14.08 F CFA 7,859

-69.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 COP 20.9K

$8.50 F CFA 4,746

-31.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.98 COP 32.4K

$8.91 F CFA 4,974

0.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 COP 8,164

$2.63 F CFA 1,471

-14.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 4,023

$1.51 F CFA 842

-26.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 COP 5,284

$2.69 F CFA 1,504

-45.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,929

$2.43 F CFA 1,358

-43.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 COP 4,009

$1.80 F CFA 1,007

-38.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,199

$1.75 F CFA 975

-33.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,211

$0.52 F CFA 289

71.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 COP 3,124

$0.86 F CFA 479

1.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.35 COP 8,495

$1.38 F CFA 773

70.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.86 COP 39.2K

$4.83 F CFA 2,699

124.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,330

$1.36 F CFA 760

-11.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 8,946

$1.50 F CFA 839

65.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,842

$0.34 F CFA 190

132.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.77 COP 147.2K

$52.2 F CFA 29.1K

-21.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 5,137

$2.10 F CFA 1,172

-32.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,900

$0.74 F CFA 415

158.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.65 COP 27.6K

$5.27 F CFA 2,941

45.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 COP 3,490

$1.19 F CFA 666

-18.49%

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

$18.1K COP 65.3M

$14.1K F CFA 7.9M

27.95%

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

$26.3K COP 95.0M

$25.6K F CFA 14.3M

2.72%

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

$81.3 COP 293.5K

$172 F CFA 96.0K

-52.72%

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

$9.63 COP 34.8K

$22.30 F CFA 12.4K

-56.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.36 COP 88.0K

$43.33 F CFA 24.2K

-43.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.02 COP 93.9K

$49.05 F CFA 27.4K

-46.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 COP 68.3K

$9.08 F CFA 5,069

108.37%

Cinema Ticket

$3.89 COP 14.0K

$4.31 F CFA 2,404

-9.74%

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

$304 COP 1.1M

$178 F CFA 99.5K

70.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,902 COP 21.3M

$5,148 F CFA 2.9M

14.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 211.8K

$24.52 F CFA 13.7K

139.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.48 COP 117.2K

$27.17 F CFA 15.2K

19.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 367.3K

$40.81 F CFA 22.8K

149.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 390.4K

$94.2 F CFA 52.6K

14.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$474 COP 1.7M

$358 F CFA 199.9K

32.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 COP 1.3M

$221 F CFA 123.2K

68.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$848 COP 3.1M

$764 F CFA 426.4K

11.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$300 F CFA 167.7K

138.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,871 COP 10.4M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,375 COP 5.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$542 COP 2.0M

$264 F CFA 147.4K

105.14%

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: April 13, 2026

Last update for Lome: April 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $474 in Medellin and $358 in Lome. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 105% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33 in Medellin vs $32 in Lome. Groceries flip the comparison at $190 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 1% 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.

Medellin pays 105% more on average, 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: $474 in Medellin versus $358 in Lome. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 in Medellin versus $178 in Lome. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% higher in Lome. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,014 in Medellin versus $1,028 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 $1,014 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 1% less than in Lome. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.