Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Benin and Medellin

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.

21

Cost of Living Index in Benin
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Benin Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Benin

🇳🇬 Nigeria

$445

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Benin and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Benin and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

Benin $445
Medellin $1,639

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

Benin $753
Medellin $2,413

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

Benin $1,061
Medellin $3,186

Benin is about 73% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.29 ₦1,727

$8.09 COP 25.4K

-84.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.53 ₦66.4K

$47.05 COP 148.0K

5.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.72 ₦7,661

$9.50 COP 29.9K

-39.79%

Cappuccino

$2.82 ₦3,786

$3.01 COP 9,485

-6.31%

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

$0.29 ₦390

$1.80 COP 5,660

-83.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 ₦264

$1.41 COP 4,443

-85.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.93 ₦1,249

$3.18 COP 9,990

-70.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 ₦1,333

$5.75 COP 18.1K

-82.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.05 ₦4,092

$1.51 COP 4,751

101.99%

White Bread (500g)

$0.77 ₦1,026

$2.38 COP 7,480

-67.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.24 ₦1,665

$1.77 COP 5,573

-29.94%

Eggs

$2.19 ₦2,939

$2.89 COP 9,093

-24.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.55 ₦4,764

$10.19 COP 32.1K

-65.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.93 ₦5,264

$9.87 COP 31.1K

-60.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.41 ₦5,908

$13.99 COP 44.0K

-68.48%

Apples (1kg)

$1.65 ₦2,206

$3.97 COP 12.5K

-58.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 ₦1,688

$1.55 COP 4,883

-18.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.08 ₦1,445

$2.18 COP 6,867

-50.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.47 ₦1,970

$2.18 COP 6,870

-32.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 ₦2,074

$1.96 COP 6,174

-20.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.58 ₦2,120

$1.59 COP 5,000

-0.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 ₦1,194

$1.15 COP 3,604

-22.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.36 ₦487

$1.24 COP 3,911

-70.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$0.54 ₦730

$3.96 COP 12.5K

-86.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$2.44 ₦3,267

$13.68 COP 43.0K

-82.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 ₦683

$1.66 COP 5,221

-69.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 ₦614

$2.26 COP 7,103

-79.65%

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)

$0.68 ₦914

$1.27 COP 3,989

-46.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.89 ₦1,189

$2.05 COP 6,442

-56.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.22 ₦2,982

$8.55 COP 26.9K

-74.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.73 ₦981

$1.35 COP 4,237

-45.93%

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

$11.2K ₦14.9M

$34.1K COP 107.2M

-67.27%

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

$28.7K ₦38.4M

$34.7K COP 109.1M

-17.32%

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

$111 ₦148.5K

$170 COP 533.7K

-34.67%

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

$14.93 ₦20.0K

$13.55 COP 42.6K

10.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.50 ₦43.6K

$28.07 COP 88.3K

15.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

Cinema Ticket

$6.22 ₦8,332

$6.91 COP 21.7K

-9.99%

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

$668 ₦894.8K

$797 COP 2.5M

-16.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.6K ₦26.2M

$9,112 COP 28.7M

114.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$14.65 ₦19.6K

$84.7 COP 266.5K

-82.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.85 ₦23.9K

$58.0 COP 182.3K

-69.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$36.59 ₦49.0K

$135 COP 424.6K

-72.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$48.06 ₦64.4K

$97.9 COP 307.9K

-50.89%

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)

$113 ₦151.1K

$657 COP 2.1M

-82.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.39

10.94

68.10%

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

Last update for Benin: October 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Benin

$158 35.5%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 33.5% $53

Groceries & Markets

Benin

$147 33%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 102% $150

Eating Out

Benin

$70 15.7%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 143% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Benin

$53 11.8%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 221% $116

Sport & Entertainment

Benin

$12 * 2.8%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 363% $45

Getting Around

Benin

$5.1 * 1.2%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 1727% $88

Accommodation & Living

Benin

- * 0%

Medellin

$642 39.1%

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

Good to know

🇳🇬 Benin

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

21:51 9:51 PM

15:51 3:51 PM

6 h behind Benin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,147,188

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Nigerian Naira NGN ₦

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 NGN = 7.46 USD

10,000 NGN = 6.7 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to NGN – Nigerian Naira Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇬 Nigerian Naira (₦)

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).

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).

USD to NGN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Benin Medellin 8,970 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Benin
Medellin

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

Benin vs Medellin: 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 $668 per month in Benin and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50 in Benin and $47 in Medellin. 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.