Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cotonou and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Cotonou: $897 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Cotonou
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Cotonou Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Cotonou

🇧🇯 Benin

$897

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $897 in Cotonou versus $1,639 in Medellin.

Cotonou $897
Medellin $1,639

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,428 in Cotonou versus $2,413 in Medellin.

Cotonou $1,428
Medellin $2,413

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,958 in Cotonou versus $3,186 in Medellin.

Cotonou $1,958
Medellin $3,186

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.18 F CFA 3,050

$8.09 COP 25.4K

-35.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.68 F CFA 21.0K

$47.05 COP 148.0K

-24.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.39 F CFA 5,527

$9.50 COP 29.9K

-1.16%

Cappuccino

$5.25 F CFA 3,093

$3.01 COP 9,485

74.42%

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

$1.00 F CFA 590

$1.80 COP 5,660

-44.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.89 F CFA 523

$1.41 COP 4,443

-36.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.87 F CFA 511

$3.18 COP 9,990

-72.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 F CFA 1,525

$5.75 COP 18.1K

-54.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.10 F CFA 1,824

$1.51 COP 4,751

105.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 F CFA 725

$2.38 COP 7,480

-48.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 F CFA 1,108

$1.77 COP 5,573

6.21%

Eggs

$2.74 F CFA 1,614

$2.89 COP 9,093

-5.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.25 F CFA 5,449

$10.19 COP 32.1K

-9.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.43 F CFA 3,196

$9.87 COP 31.1K

-44.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.04 F CFA 2,966

$13.99 COP 44.0K

-63.97%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 F CFA 2,351

$3.97 COP 12.5K

0.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 F CFA 1,046

$1.55 COP 4,883

14.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.33 F CFA 781

$2.18 COP 6,867

-38.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.71 F CFA 1,595

$2.18 COP 6,870

24.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 F CFA 746

$1.96 COP 6,174

-35.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.68 F CFA 989

$1.59 COP 5,000

5.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.43 F CFA 253

$1.15 COP 3,604

-62.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 F CFA 672

$1.24 COP 3,911

-8.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.37 F CFA 1,982

$3.96 COP 12.5K

-14.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.30 F CFA 2,530

$13.68 COP 43.0K

-68.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 F CFA 690

$1.66 COP 5,221

-29.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 F CFA 1,094

$2.26 COP 7,103

-17.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.30 F CFA 766

$1.17 COP 3,674

11.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 F CFA 810

$1.27 COP 3,989

8.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.32 F CFA 778

$2.05 COP 6,442

-35.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 F CFA 696

$1.35 COP 4,237

-12.59%

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

$34.1K COP 107.2M

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

$23.5K F CFA 13.8M

$34.7K COP 109.1M

-32.19%

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

$145 F CFA 85.3K

$170 COP 533.7K

-14.62%

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

$33.52 F CFA 19.7K

$13.55 COP 42.6K

147.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.06 F CFA 28.9K

$28.07 COP 88.3K

74.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.60 F CFA 28.0K

$43.70 COP 137.5K

8.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.36 F CFA 1,978

$17.19 COP 54.1K

-80.45%

Cinema Ticket

$8.58 F CFA 5,055

$6.91 COP 21.7K

24.17%

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

$131 F CFA 77.1K

$797 COP 2.5M

-83.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,544 F CFA 3.3M

$9,112 COP 28.7M

-39.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.39 F CFA 15.0K

$84.7 COP 266.5K

-70.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 182.3K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$33.44 F CFA 19.7K

$135 COP 424.6K

-75.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$67.9 F CFA 40.0K

$97.9 COP 307.9K

-30.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$176 F CFA 103.6K

$1,208 COP 3.8M

-85.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$163 F CFA 95.9K

$642 COP 2.0M

-74.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$600 F CFA 353.4K

$2,028 COP 6.4M

-70.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$412 F CFA 242.9K

$1,012 COP 3.2M

-59.23%

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)

$251 F CFA 147.5K

$657 COP 2.1M

-61.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-63.44%

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

Last update for Cotonou: October 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cotonou

$227 25.4%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 7.1% $16

Groceries & Markets

Cotonou

$222 24.8%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 33.8% $75

Accommodation & Living

Cotonou

$163 18.2%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 294% $479

Eating Out

Cotonou

$150 16.7%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 13.3% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Cotonou

$65 7.2%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 11.2% $7.2

Clothing & Footwear

Cotonou

$57 * 6.4%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 196% $112

Getting Around

Cotonou

$13 * 1.5%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 610% $80

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 Cotonou and $1,208 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays about 2.6 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $36 in Cotonou vs $47 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $222 vs $297 per month, with Cotonou cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇯 Cotonou

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

18:45 6:45 PM

12:45 12:45 PM

6 h behind Cotonou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

780,000

2,486,723

💱 Currency

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XOF = 1.7 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 589 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.7 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.53 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 XOF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Cotonou Medellin 8,610 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Cotonou
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

Cotonou vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cotonou is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, transport, and groceries. The 83% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 62% lower in Cotonou. 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 Cotonou versus $1,208 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 34% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $897 per month in Cotonou versus $1,639 in Medellin – a 83% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $897 in Cotonou versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cotonou but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Cotonou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Cotonou wins on affordability, Medellin on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.