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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,047 in Lome.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,533 in Lome.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $2,020 in Lome.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 3% less than in Lome, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Lome 22% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.3K

$2.15 F CFA 1,216

178.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 116.9K

$31.22 F CFA 17.6K

5.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.2K

$5.38 F CFA 3,036

31.78%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,093

$5.61 F CFA 3,168

-69.52%

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

$1.10 COP 3,910

$3.46 F CFA 1,953

-68.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,771

$1.11 F CFA 627

-29.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,976

$0.84 F CFA 477

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 10.9K

$1.71 F CFA 964

79.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,892

$2.48 F CFA 1,397

-56.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,492

$1.33 F CFA 748

-5.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,905

$1.83 F CFA 1,035

-24.59%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,799

$2.10 F CFA 1,184

4.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$14.13 F CFA 7,975

-68.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.0K

$8.41 F CFA 4,748

-33.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.6K

$9.44 F CFA 5,326

-5.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,319

$2.71 F CFA 1,530

-13.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,764

$1.50 F CFA 845

-29.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,355

$2.62 F CFA 1,481

-42.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,906

$2.48 F CFA 1,402

-44.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,097

$1.79 F CFA 1,012

-35.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,141

$1.74 F CFA 981

-33.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,170

$0.50 F CFA 284

78.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,986

$0.85 F CFA 482

-1.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,116

$1.44 F CFA 815

58.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 37.9K

$4.87 F CFA 2,748

118.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,268

$1.33 F CFA 749

-9.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,793

$1.51 F CFA 855

63.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,045

$0.36 F CFA 204

138.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.3K

$53.3 F CFA 30.1K

-22.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,245

$2.13 F CFA 1,203

-30.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 6,984

$0.69 F CFA 389

184.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.5K

$5.21 F CFA 2,938

48.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,397

$1.25 F CFA 704

-24.00%

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

$18.1K COP 64.5M

$14.1K F CFA 7.9M

28.97%

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

$26.5K COP 94.2M

$26.0K F CFA 14.7M

2.00%

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

$82.3 COP 292.7K

$173 F CFA 97.5K

-52.41%

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

$9.50 COP 33.8K

$21.89 F CFA 12.4K

-56.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.2K

$44.32 F CFA 25.0K

-45.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.1K

$49.54 F CFA 28.0K

-47.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.6K

$8.63 F CFA 4,871

120.16%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$4.33 F CFA 2,444

-9.24%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$177 F CFA 99.9K

74.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.2M

$5,103 F CFA 2.9M

16.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 208.7K

$24.39 F CFA 13.8K

140.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.1K

$27.26 F CFA 15.4K

18.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 365.1K

$42.14 F CFA 23.8K

143.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 385.8K

$94.0 F CFA 53.0K

15.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$360 F CFA 202.9K

32.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$224 F CFA 126.2K

69.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$765 F CFA 431.8K

9.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$299 F CFA 169.0K

141.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$267 F CFA 150.6K

91.85%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Lome: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $360 in Lome. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 92% 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 $31.00 in Lome. Groceries flip the comparison at $188 vs $252, 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 3% 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 92% 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: $476 in Medellin versus $360 in Lome. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $177 in Lome. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Lome. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,047 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 $1,013 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 3% less than in Lome. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.