Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brazzaville and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,589 a month against $1,931 in Brazzaville, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Brazzaville outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

93

Cost of Living Index in Brazzaville
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Brazzaville Living Index
77

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Brazzaville

🇨🇬 Republic of the Congo

$1,931

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,589

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,931 per month in Brazzaville vs $1,589 in Medellin, rent included.

Brazzaville $1,931
Medellin $1,589

A couple spends around $2,959 per month in Brazzaville vs $2,364 in Medellin, rent included.

Brazzaville $2,959
Medellin $2,364

A family of three spends $3,986 per month in Brazzaville vs $3,139 in Medellin, rent included.

Brazzaville $3,986
Medellin $3,139

Brazzaville costs about 22% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Brazzaville and Medellin sit above the global median – Brazzaville by 44%, Medellin by 19%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.22 FCFA 4,812

$8.01 COP 25.5K

2.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.75 FCFA 29.1K

$46.55 COP 148.3K

6.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.85 FCFA 2,839

$9.43 COP 30.1K

-48.57%

Cappuccino

$4.05 FCFA 2,370

$2.91 COP 9,277

39.18%

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

$1.59 FCFA 929

$1.75 COP 5,585

-9.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.31 FCFA 766

$1.32 COP 4,218

-0.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.58 FCFA 3,264

$3.13 COP 9,969

78.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 FCFA 2,157

$5.55 COP 17.7K

-33.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.75 FCFA 1,608

$1.41 COP 4,495

95.04%

White Bread (500g)

$4.81 FCFA 2,813

$2.44 COP 7,777

97.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.00 FCFA 1,754

$1.63 COP 5,191

84.05%

Eggs

$2.87 FCFA 1,678

$2.82 COP 8,990

1.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.06 FCFA 9,399

$9.69 COP 30.9K

65.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.45 FCFA 5,527

$9.32 COP 29.7K

1.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.39 FCFA 8,422

$13.46 COP 42.9K

6.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.42 FCFA 1,413

$4.00 COP 12.8K

-39.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 FCFA 1,022

$1.48 COP 4,719

18.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.57 FCFA 2,089

$2.12 COP 6,768

68.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.91 FCFA 1,701

$2.25 COP 7,178

29.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 FCFA 1,509

$1.91 COP 6,092

35.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 FCFA 1,376

$1.62 COP 5,160

45.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.36 FCFA 796

$1.15 COP 3,658

18.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 FCFA 487

$1.26 COP 4,021

-34.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.73 FCFA 2,181

$3.82 COP 12.2K

-2.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.38 FCFA 6,075

$13.11 COP 41.8K

-20.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 5,083

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,188

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 FCFA 145

$1.17 COP 3,731

-78.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.00 FCFA 13.5K

$75.0 COP 239.0K

-69.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.73 FCFA 1,011

$1.27 COP 4,056

36.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 FCFA 768

$2.05 COP 6,531

-36.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.75 FCFA 3,946

$8.20 COP 26.1K

-17.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 FCFA 798

$1.27 COP 4,046

7.09%

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

$29.5K FCFA 17.2M

$26.8K COP 85.3M

10.00%

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

$26.9K FCFA 15.7M

$34.4K COP 109.6M

-21.76%

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

$839 FCFA 491.1K

$162 COP 516.9K

417.45%

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

$17.27 FCFA 10.1K

$13.12 COP 41.8K

31.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.17 FCFA 24.7K

$28.09 COP 89.5K

50.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.27 FCFA 15.4K

$44.33 COP 141.2K

-40.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.90 FCFA 8,133

$16.33 COP 52.0K

-14.88%

Cinema Ticket

$5.60 FCFA 3,279

$6.09 COP 19.4K

-8.05%

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

$52.2 FCFA 30.5K

$764 COP 2.4M

-93.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,904 COP 28.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.0 COP 270.8K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 COP 183.2K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 COP 419.8K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 COP 305.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,175 FCFA 687.2K

$1,028 COP 3.3M

14.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$451 FCFA 264.1K

$604 COP 1.9M

-25.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,203 FCFA 1.9M

$1,802 COP 5.7M

77.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,449 FCFA 848.0K

$993 COP 3.2M

46.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,458 FCFA 2.0M

$3,921 COP 12.5M

-11.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,979 FCFA 1.7M

$1,639 COP 5.2M

81.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$451 FCFA 264.1K

$626 COP 2.0M

-27.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.54

10.94

-40.22%

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

Last update for Brazzaville: October 6, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brazzaville

$899 46.5%

Medellin

$203 12.9% 77.4% $695

Accommodation & Living

Brazzaville

$451 23.4%

Medellin

$604 38.3% 33.9% $153

Groceries & Markets

Brazzaville

$338 * 17.5%

Medellin

$288 18.3% 14.6% $49

Eating Out

Brazzaville

$176 9.1%

Medellin

$166 10.6% 5.4% $9.5

Sport & Entertainment

Brazzaville

$37 1.9%

Medellin

$57 3.6% 50.7% $19

Getting Around

Brazzaville

$32 1.7%

Medellin

$91 5.8% 183% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Brazzaville

- * 0%

Medellin

$166 10.6%

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,175 in Brazzaville versus $1,028 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 39% higher in Medellin, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Brazzaville versus $47.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $338 vs $288 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇬 Brazzaville

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

09:38 9:38 AM

03:38 3:38 AM

6 h behind Brazzaville

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,932,610 Capital

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Central African CFA Franc XAF Fr

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XAF = 1.52 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to XAF – Central African CFA Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 Central African CFA Franc (Fr)

Central African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 585 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.52 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,187 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,574 COP (10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR).

USD to XAF in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Brazzaville Medellin 10,160 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Brazzaville
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

Brazzaville vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brazzaville costs about 22% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,897 per month in Brazzaville and $2,384 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Brazzaville and $47.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,931 in Brazzaville and $1,589 in Medellin. That's a gap of about 22%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,589, than in Brazzaville at $1,931. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brazzaville it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Medellin costs $1,589 versus $1,931 in Brazzaville. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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