Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Tamale

For one person, living is cheaper in Tamale: $142 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $18,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index

Jump to prices

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Tamale

🇬🇭 Ghana

$142

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Tamale

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $142 in Tamale, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Tamale $142

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $215 in Tamale, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Tamale $215

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $288 in Tamale, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Tamale $288

Medellin costs about 1053% more than Tamale, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Tamale is 90% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$3.39 GHS 39.45

138.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$10.17 GHS 118

-6.59%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$0.82 GHS 9.56

119.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$0.45 GHS 5.23

213.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$0.89 GHS 10.36

257.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$1.31 GHS 15.30

338.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$3.10 GHS 36.06

-51.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$1.67 GHS 19.41

42.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$3.79 GHS 44.18

-53.30%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

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

$1.26 GHS 14.73

31.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$0.82 GHS 9.56

42.68%

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

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

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

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

$8,549 GHS 99.6K

6.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

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 Tamale: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Tamale

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Tamale

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Tamale

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Tamale

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Tamale

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Tamale

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Tamale

–

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇬🇭 Tamale

🕒 Local time

02:56 2:56 AM

07:56 7:56 AM

5 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

950,124

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Ghanaian Cedi GHS ₵

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

100 GHS = 8.58 USD

100 GHS = 7.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GHS, 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 = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Ghanaian Cedi exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 11.65 GHS (100 GHS = 8.58 USD). 1 EUR = 13 GHS (100 GHS = 7.69 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Tamale 8,230 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Tamale

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 Tamale: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 1053%, 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 $213 in Tamale. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $142 in Tamale. That makes Tamale about 91% cheaper.

Groceries cost about 330% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Tamale, where all-in costs run around $142, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Tamale 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 $142 in Tamale to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.