Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Makurdi

For one person, living is cheaper in Makurdi: $12.12 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $20,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half 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

$1,692

/mo nomad

Makurdi

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$12.12

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Makurdi

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,692 in Medellin versus $12.12 in Makurdi.

Medellin $1,692
Makurdi $12.12

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,471 in Medellin versus $17.15 in Makurdi.

Medellin $2,471
Makurdi $17.15

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,249 in Medellin versus $22 in Makurdi.

Medellin $3,249
Makurdi $22

Living in Medellin is roughly 13861% more expensive than in Makurdi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Makurdi is 99% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 27.0K

$0.38 ₦511

2094.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.9K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.7K

$1.82 ₦2,433

420.33%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.2K

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

$1.77 COP 5,728

$0.08 ₦107

2112.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,620

$0.07 ₦96.8

1928.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$0.35 ₦474

800.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.5K

$0.61 ₦817

834.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,971

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,431

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,308

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,945

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.4K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.9K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.3K

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,957

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,825

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,439

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,841

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,543

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,795

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,125

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.7K

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.6K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,714

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,796

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,826

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 247.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,860

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,906

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.4K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,136

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

$34.4K COP 111.7M

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

$34.1K COP 110.7M

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

$178 COP 576.4K

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

$13.89 COP 45.0K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.7K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 136.0K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.2K

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

$790 COP 2.6M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.9M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 280.0K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 192.2K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 448.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 320.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 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: November 2, 2026

Last update for Makurdi: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Makurdi

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Makurdi

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Makurdi

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Makurdi

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Makurdi

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Makurdi

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Makurdi

–

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇳🇬 Makurdi

🕒 Local time

06:05 6:05 AM

12:05 12:05 PM

6 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

500,797

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Nigerian Naira NGN ₦

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.08 USD

10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR

10,000 NGN = 7.48 USD

10,000 NGN = 6.67 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 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,243 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,636 COP (10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR).

Nigerian Naira exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 1,337 NGN (10,000 NGN = 7.48 USD). 1 EUR = 1,499 NGN (10,000 NGN = 6.67 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Between locations

Medellin Makurdi 9,270 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Makurdi

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 Makurdi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Makurdi wins on cost – living expenses run 99% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Makurdi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $2,538 in Medellin and $18.18 in Makurdi 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.

At $12.12 in Makurdi versus $1,692 in Medellin, a $800 budget is realistic in Makurdi but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Makurdi 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.