Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bamako and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Bamako: $899 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Bamako
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Bamako Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Bamako

🇲🇱 Mali

$899

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bamako 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 Bamako and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $899 in Bamako versus $1,625 in Medellin.

Bamako $899
Medellin $1,625

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,467 in Bamako versus $2,412 in Medellin.

Bamako $1,467
Medellin $2,412

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,034 in Bamako versus $3,199 in Medellin.

Bamako $2,034
Medellin $3,199

Living in Bamako costs roughly 45% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Bamako is 34% below, Medellin is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.65 F CFA 5,042

$8.30 COP 26.3K

4.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.32 F CFA 20.6K

$46.91 COP 148.7K

-24.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.02 F CFA 4,678

$9.24 COP 29.3K

-13.20%

Cappuccino

$1.66 F CFA 967

$3.05 COP 9,676

-45.57%

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

$0.97 F CFA 567

$1.80 COP 5,707

-46.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 F CFA 405

$1.38 COP 4,382

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 F CFA 1,376

$3.24 COP 10.3K

-27.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$21.09 F CFA 12.3K

$5.56 COP 17.6K

279.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 F CFA 1,120

$1.50 COP 4,760

28.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 F CFA 2,218

$2.37 COP 7,508

60.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

Eggs

$6.07 F CFA 3,537

$2.96 COP 9,379

105.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.47 F CFA 10.2K

$10.22 COP 32.4K

70.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.92 F CFA 9,284

$9.74 COP 30.9K

63.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.59 F CFA 7,342

$13.90 COP 44.1K

-9.42%

Apples (1kg)

$4.11 F CFA 2,397

$4.13 COP 13.1K

-0.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.02 F CFA 595

$1.53 COP 4,839

-33.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.90 F CFA 1,689

$2.22 COP 7,052

30.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.07 F CFA 1,204

$2.27 COP 7,194

-8.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 F CFA 728

$1.99 COP 6,311

-37.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 F CFA 664

$1.67 COP 5,285

-31.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.09 F CFA 51.0

$1.18 COP 3,742

-92.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 F CFA 1,633

$1.24 COP 3,919

125.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 F CFA 916

$1.66 COP 5,256

-5.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 F CFA 973

$2.40 COP 7,615

-30.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.25 F CFA 729

$2.15 COP 6,803

-41.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 F CFA 655

$1.35 COP 4,288

-17.04%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

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

$152 F CFA 88.5K

$167 COP 528.4K

-8.91%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.1 F CFA 38.6K

$29.12 COP 92.3K

127.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.6 F CFA 40.6K

$45.09 COP 143.0K

54.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

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

$790 COP 2.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$176 F CFA 102.4K

$1,028 COP 3.3M

-82.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$80.4 F CFA 46.9K

$620 COP 2.0M

-87.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$503 F CFA 293.1K

$1,881 COP 6.0M

-73.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$302 F CFA 176.2K

$1,008 COP 3.2M

-70.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,258 F CFA 733.7K

$1,702 COP 5.4M

-26.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$266 F CFA 155.2K

$663 COP 2.1M

-59.87%

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 Bamako: October 17, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Bamako

$351 * 39.1%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 15.1% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bamako

$218 * 24.2%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 3.9% $8.5

Eating Out

Bamako

$174 19.3%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 1.7% $3

Accommodation & Living

Bamako

$80 8.9%

Medellin

$619 38.1% 671% $539

Sport & Entertainment

Bamako

$70 * 7.7%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 15.2% $11

Getting Around

Bamako

$6.3 * 0.7%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 1423% $89

Clothing & Footwear

Bamako

- * 0%

Medellin

$173 10.6%

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $176 in Bamako and $1,028 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 149% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $35.00 in Bamako vs $47.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $351 vs $298, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇱 Bamako

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

10:14 10:14 AM

05:14 5:14 AM

5 h behind Bamako

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,809,106 Capital

2,486,723

💱 Currency

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to XOF – West African CFA Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 West African CFA Franc (Fr)

West African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 583 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to XOF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Bamako Medellin 7,430 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Bamako
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

Bamako vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bamako wins on cost – living expenses run 81% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bamako the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 149% lower in Medellin. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $176 in Bamako versus $1,028 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $899 per month in Bamako versus $1,625 in Medellin – a 81% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 18% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $899 in Bamako versus $1,625 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bamako but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Bamako the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bamako delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $899 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bamako hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Bamako gentler on the wallet – expenses run 81% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.