Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Maiduguri

For one person, living is cheaper in Maiduguri: $172 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $17,600 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

Maiduguri

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$172

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Maiduguri

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $172 in Maiduguri.

Medellin $1,639
Maiduguri $172

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $287 in Maiduguri.

Medellin $2,413
Maiduguri $287

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $403 in Maiduguri.

Medellin $3,186
Maiduguri $403

Living in Medellin is roughly 853% more expensive than in Maiduguri, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Maiduguri is 87% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$0.50 ₦673

1518.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$1.91 ₦2,566

397.38%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$0.92 ₦1,233

227.17%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$0.27 ₦366

566.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$0.21 ₦288

571.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$1.02 ₦1,366

133.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$2.01 ₦2,708

-11.94%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$1.78 ₦2,391

62.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$5.04 ₦6,784

95.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$4.11 ₦5,524

240.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$4.04 ₦5,437

-1.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$1.03 ₦1,382

111.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$1.53 ₦2,064

28.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$0.99 ₦1,325

60.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$0.42 ₦559

173.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.31 ₦418

300.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$0.38 ₦514

207.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$0.25 ₦333

440.00%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

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

$170 COP 547.8K

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$7.90 ₦10.6K

71.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$7.89 ₦10.6K

117.87%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

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

$797 COP 2.6M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$19.77 ₦26.6K

328.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

$18.04 ₦24.3K

221.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

$25.04 ₦33.7K

438.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$25.48 ₦34.3K

284.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

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 Maiduguri: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Maiduguri

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Maiduguri

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Maiduguri

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Maiduguri

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Maiduguri

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Maiduguri

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Maiduguri

–

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇳🇬 Maiduguri

🕒 Local time

19:09 7:09 PM

01:09 1:09 AM

6 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

1,197,497

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Nigerian Naira NGN ₦

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

10,000 NGN = 7.44 USD

10,000 NGN = 6.66 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NGN, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Nigerian Naira exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1,345 NGN (10,000 NGN = 7.44 USD). 1 EUR = 1,502 NGN (10,000 NGN = 6.66 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Medellin Maiduguri 9,730 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

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Maiduguri

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 Maiduguri: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Maiduguri is about 90% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $2,459 in Medellin and $258 in Maiduguri to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 196% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,639 per month in Medellin versus $172 in Maiduguri – Maiduguri is about 90% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $172 in Maiduguri versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Maiduguri but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Maiduguri 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.