Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Port Harcourt

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Harcourt: $392 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $15,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Port Harcourt, Nigeria
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Port Harcourt
🇳🇬 Nigeria
$392
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Port Harcourt

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $392 in Port Harcourt, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Port Harcourt $392

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $815 in Port Harcourt, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Port Harcourt $815

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,238 in Port Harcourt, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Port Harcourt $1,238

Medellin costs about 319% more than Port Harcourt, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Port Harcourt is 71% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Port Harcourt
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 26.1K
$2.04 ₦2,745
296.57%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 151.9K
$30.33 ₦40.8K
55.13%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.7K
$4.82 ₦6,483
97.10%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,735
$1.61 ₦2,170
86.96%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,809
$0.60 ₦807
200.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,561
$0.65 ₦879
116.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 10.3K
$1.44 ₦1,939
120.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.6K
$3.03 ₦4,069
89.77%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Port Harcourt
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,876
$2.60 ₦3,496
-41.92%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,678
$0.91 ₦1,220
161.54%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,720
$3.26 ₦4,384
-45.71%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,333
$1.76 ₦2,369
64.20%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.9K
-
-
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.9K
$1.88 ₦2,525
425.00%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 45.2K
-
-
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.8K
$2.46 ₦3,308
61.38%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 5,012
$2.23 ₦2,997
-30.49%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,048
$1.83 ₦2,462
19.13%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,051
$3.06 ₦4,109
-28.76%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,337
$2.22 ₦2,983
-11.71%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,132
$1.53 ₦2,056
3.92%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,699
-
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 4,014
$0.62 ₦835
100.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.8K
-
-
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 44.2K
$5.28 ₦7,106
159.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,359
$0.72 ₦972
130.56%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,291
$1.46 ₦1,967
54.79%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Port Harcourt
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,771
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 249.8K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 4,094
$0.36 ₦478
252.78%
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
$0.58 ₦783
132.76%
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
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Port Harcourt
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 547.8K
$30.24 ₦40.7K
461.01%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 43.8K
$3.82 ₦5,138
254.71%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 90.6K
-
-
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Port Harcourt
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 141.1K
$14.22 ₦19.1K
207.31%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 55.5K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 22.3K
$4.07 ₦5,467
69.78%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Port Harcourt
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.6M
$24.79 ₦33.3K
3113.51%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 29.4M
$788 ₦1.1M
1055.64%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Port Harcourt
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 273.5K
$6.85 ₦9,210
1136.79%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 187.2K
$11.43 ₦15.4K
407.09%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 435.8K
-
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 316.0K
$15.09 ₦20.3K
548.58%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Port Harcourt
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.9M
$151 ₦203.3K
699.21%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.1M
$104 ₦140.5K
514.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.5M
$1,131 ₦1.5M
79.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.3M
$499 ₦670.7K
102.87%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.5M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.2M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Port Harcourt
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
$55.8 ₦75.0K
1077.67%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
0
-

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Port Harcourt: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Port Harcourt
–
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Port Harcourt
–
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Port Harcourt
–
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Port Harcourt
–
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Port Harcourt
–
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Port Harcourt
–
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Port Harcourt
–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $151 in Port Harcourt. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Medellin are about 12 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $30 in Port Harcourt. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $147 – making Port Harcourt the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇳🇬 Port Harcourt
🕒 Local time
21:04 9:04 PM
03:04 3:04 AM
6 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
1,382,592
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

NGN, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Port Harcourt 9,140 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Port Harcourt

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 Port Harcourt: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Port Harcourt cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 319%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $588 in Port Harcourt. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Port Harcourt, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $151 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Port Harcourt?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $30 in Port Harcourt. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Medellin and in Port Harcourt?
Groceries cost about 102% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is $1,200 a realistic budget for living in Medellin or in Port Harcourt?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Port Harcourt, where all-in costs run around $392, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Port Harcourt it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Medellin or Port Harcourt more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Port Harcourt – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Port Harcourt. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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