Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dakar and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Dakar: $1,415 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Dakar
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Dakar Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index

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Dakar

🇸🇳 Senegal

$1,415

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,415 in Dakar versus $1,625 in Medellin.

Dakar $1,415
Medellin $1,625

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,220 in Dakar versus $2,412 in Medellin.

Dakar $2,220
Medellin $2,412

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,026 in Dakar versus $3,199 in Medellin.

Dakar $3,026
Medellin $3,199

Living in Dakar costs roughly 13% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dakar 4% above, Medellin 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.23 F CFA 3,051

$8.30 COP 26.3K

-36.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 F CFA 30.3K

$46.91 COP 148.7K

10.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.25 F CFA 6,561

$9.24 COP 29.3K

21.75%

Cappuccino

$3.43 F CFA 1,999

$3.05 COP 9,676

12.46%

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

$1.25 F CFA 728

$1.80 COP 5,707

-30.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 F CFA 538

$1.38 COP 4,382

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.52 F CFA 1,469

$3.24 COP 10.3K

-22.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.24 F CFA 2,473

$5.56 COP 17.6K

-23.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.60 F CFA 1,513

$1.50 COP 4,760

73.33%

White Bread (500g)

$0.76 F CFA 445

$2.37 COP 7,508

-67.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 F CFA 967

$1.70 COP 5,377

-2.35%

Eggs

$2.52 F CFA 1,467

$2.96 COP 9,379

-14.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.67 F CFA 10.3K

$10.22 COP 32.4K

72.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.03 F CFA 5,268

$9.74 COP 30.9K

-7.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.89 F CFA 6,349

$13.90 COP 44.1K

-21.65%

Apples (1kg)

$3.27 F CFA 1,906

$4.13 COP 13.1K

-20.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 F CFA 1,084

$1.53 COP 4,839

21.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 F CFA 1,741

$2.22 COP 7,052

34.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.71 F CFA 999

$2.27 COP 7,194

-24.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 F CFA 776

$1.99 COP 6,311

-33.17%

Onion (1kg)

$0.97 F CFA 566

$1.67 COP 5,285

-41.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 F CFA 661

$1.18 COP 3,742

-4.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.69 F CFA 403

$1.24 COP 3,919

-44.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.20 F CFA 1,282

$3.87 COP 12.3K

-43.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.00 F CFA 9,912

$13.78 COP 43.7K

23.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 F CFA 923

$1.66 COP 5,256

-4.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 F CFA 1,923

$2.40 COP 7,615

37.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 F CFA 239

$1.24 COP 3,944

-66.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.0 F CFA 44.9K

$78.2 COP 248.0K

-1.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.13 F CFA 1,241

$1.28 COP 4,044

66.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.20 F CFA 1,284

$2.15 COP 6,803

2.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.16 F CFA 10.0K

$8.37 COP 26.5K

105.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.64 F CFA 956

$1.35 COP 4,288

21.48%

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

$49.7K F CFA 29.0M

$34.8K COP 110.2M

42.83%

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

$47.9K F CFA 27.9M

$34.7K COP 110.0M

38.19%

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

$202 F CFA 117.7K

$167 COP 528.4K

21.16%

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

$11.68 F CFA 6,811

$13.62 COP 43.2K

-14.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.07 F CFA 26.9K

$29.12 COP 92.3K

58.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.29 F CFA 25.8K

$45.09 COP 143.0K

-1.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.92 F CFA 13.4K

$17.18 COP 54.5K

33.41%

Cinema Ticket

$8.32 F CFA 4,852

$6.97 COP 22.1K

19.37%

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

$327 F CFA 190.5K

$790 COP 2.5M

-58.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K F CFA 6.1M

$9,041 COP 28.7M

15.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 F CFA 34.2K

$87.8 COP 278.4K

-33.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.95 F CFA 26.2K

$58.2 COP 184.4K

-22.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.1 F CFA 50.8K

$139 COP 440.7K

-37.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.1 F CFA 56.6K

$98.9 COP 313.5K

-1.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$827 F CFA 482.1K

$1,028 COP 3.3M

-19.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$430 F CFA 250.9K

$620 COP 2.0M

-30.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,724 F CFA 1.0M

$1,881 COP 6.0M

-8.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$916 F CFA 534.2K

$1,008 COP 3.2M

-9.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,838 F CFA 2.8M

$3,988 COP 12.6M

21.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,494 F CFA 871.1K

$1,702 COP 5.4M

-12.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$341 F CFA 198.7K

$663 COP 2.1M

-48.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.75

10.94

-20.02%

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

Last update for Dakar: October 19, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dakar

$430 30.4%

Medellin

$619 38.1% 44% $189

Groceries & Markets

Dakar

$296 21%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 0.5% $1.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dakar

$260 18.4%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 19.4% $50

Eating Out

Dakar

$147 10.4%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 16.6% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Dakar

$129 9.2%

Medellin

$173 10.6% 33.4% $43

Getting Around

Dakar

$92 6.5%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 3.8% $3.5

Sport & Entertainment

Dakar

$61 4.3%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 3.1% $1.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $827 in Dakar and $1,028 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 95% 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: $52.0 in Dakar vs $47.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $296 vs $298, with Dakar cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇸🇳 Dakar

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

11:37 11:37 AM

06:37 6:37 AM

5 h behind Dakar

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,396,800 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 20, 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 20, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dakar Medellin 6,410 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Dakar
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

Dakar vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dakar and Medellin differ by about 15% in total monthly costs ($1,415 vs $1,625 including rent). Dakar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 95% 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: $827 in Dakar 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 $1,415 per month in Dakar versus $1,625 in Medellin – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dakar runs roughly 2% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,415 in Dakar versus $1,625 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Dakar but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Dakar 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.

Expats usually find Dakar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.