Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Benin

For one person, living is cheaper in Benin: $445 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $14,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
21

Cost of Living Index in Benin
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Benin Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Benin

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$445

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Benin

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $445 in Benin, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Benin $445

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $753 in Benin, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Benin $753

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,061 in Benin, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Benin $1,061

Medellin costs about 268% more than Benin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Benin is 67% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.4K

$1.29 ₦1,727

527.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.0K

$49.53 ₦66.4K

-5.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 29.9K

$5.72 ₦7,661

66.08%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,485

$2.82 ₦3,786

6.74%

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

$1.80 COP 5,660

$0.29 ₦390

520.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,443

$0.20 ₦264

605.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 9,990

$0.93 ₦1,249

241.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$0.99 ₦1,333

480.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,751

$3.05 ₦4,092

-50.49%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,480

$0.77 ₦1,026

209.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,573

$1.24 ₦1,665

42.74%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,093

$2.19 ₦2,939

31.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.1K

$3.55 ₦4,764

187.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.1K

$3.93 ₦5,264

151.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.0K

$4.41 ₦5,908

217.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.5K

$1.65 ₦2,206

140.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,883

$1.26 ₦1,688

23.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,867

$1.08 ₦1,445

101.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,870

$1.47 ₦1,970

48.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,174

$1.55 ₦2,074

26.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,000

$1.58 ₦2,120

0.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,604

$0.89 ₦1,194

29.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,911

$0.36 ₦487

244.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$0.54 ₦730

633.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.0K

$2.44 ₦3,267

460.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,221

$0.51 ₦683

225.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,103

$0.46 ₦614

391.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,674

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 3,989

$0.68 ₦914

86.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,442

$0.89 ₦1,189

130.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

$2.22 ₦2,982

285.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,237

$0.73 ₦981

84.93%

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

$34.1K COP 107.2M

$11.2K ₦14.9M

205.51%

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

$28.7K ₦38.4M

20.95%

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

$170 COP 533.7K

$111 ₦148.5K

53.07%

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

$13.55 COP 42.6K

$14.93 ₦20.0K

-9.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.3K

$32.50 ₦43.6K

-13.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.7K

$6.22 ₦8,332

11.09%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$668 ₦894.8K

19.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

$19.6K ₦26.2M

-53.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 266.5K

$14.65 ₦19.6K

478.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 182.3K

$17.85 ₦23.9K

224.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 424.6K

$36.59 ₦49.0K

268.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 307.9K

$48.06 ₦64.4K

103.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$113 ₦151.1K

482.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

18.39

-40.51%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Benin: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Benin

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Benin

$147 33% 50.5% $150

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Benin

$158 35.5% 25.1% $53

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Benin

$70 15.7% 58.8% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Benin

$53 11.8% 68.8% $116

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Benin

$5.1 * 1.2% 94.5% $88

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Benin

$12 * 2.8% 78.4% $45

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Salaries in Medellin are about 5.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $50 in Benin. Groceries tell a different story – $297 in Medellin vs $147 in Benin – so Benin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇳🇬 Benin

🕒 Local time

17:29 5:29 PM

23:29 11:29 PM

6 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

1,147,188

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Nigerian Naira NGN ₦

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

10,000 NGN = 7.46 USD

10,000 NGN = 6.7 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 October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

Nigerian Naira exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1,340 NGN (10,000 NGN = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 1,492 NGN (10,000 NGN = 6.7 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Benin 8,970 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Benin

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 Benin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 268%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $668 in Benin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $50 in Benin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 102% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Benin, where all-in costs run around $445, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Benin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $445 in Benin to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Benin. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.