Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Maroua and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Maroua: $348 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $15,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Maroua

🇨🇲 Cameroon

$348

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $348 in Maroua versus $1,639 in Medellin.

Maroua $348
Medellin $1,639

Estimated couple costs with rent: $519 in Maroua versus $2,413 in Medellin.

Maroua $519
Medellin $2,413

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $690 in Maroua versus $3,186 in Medellin.

Maroua $690
Medellin $3,186

Living in Maroua costs roughly 79% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Maroua is 74% below, Medellin is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,734

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,560

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 FCFA 972

$1.51 COP 4,875

9.93%

White Bread (500g)

$0.84 FCFA 489

$2.38 COP 7,677

-64.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.84 FCFA 1,662

$1.77 COP 5,719

60.45%

Eggs

$5.62 FCFA 3,290

$2.89 COP 9,332

94.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.13 FCFA 2,998

$10.19 COP 32.9K

-49.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.24 FCFA 3,064

$9.87 COP 31.9K

-46.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.31 FCFA 1,936

$13.99 COP 45.2K

-76.34%

Apples (1kg)

$1.72 FCFA 1,003

$3.97 COP 12.8K

-56.68%

Banana (1kg)

$0.87 FCFA 508

$1.55 COP 5,011

-43.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.87 FCFA 511

$2.18 COP 7,047

-60.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.74 FCFA 1,016

$2.18 COP 7,050

-20.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.60 FCFA 1,519

$1.96 COP 6,336

32.65%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 FCFA 1,000

$1.59 COP 5,131

7.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,698

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 FCFA 480

$1.24 COP 4,014

-33.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

Wine (Bottle)

$11.12 FCFA 6,504

$13.68 COP 44.2K

-18.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 FCFA 511

$1.66 COP 5,359

-47.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 FCFA 1,022

$2.26 COP 7,290

-22.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,770

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,611

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,348

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

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

$51.6 FCFA 30.2K

$170 COP 547.7K

-69.61%

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

$8.43 FCFA 4,932

$13.55 COP 43.7K

-37.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.99 FCFA 9,937

$43.70 COP 141.1K

-61.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$1.69 FCFA 988

$17.19 COP 55.5K

-90.17%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

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

$797 COP 2.6M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$83.7 FCFA 48.9K

$642 COP 2.1M

-86.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$154 FCFA 89.9K

$1,012 COP 3.3M

-84.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

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 Maroua: October 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Maroua

–

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Groceries & Markets

Maroua

–

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Maroua

–

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Eating Out

Maroua

–

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Maroua

–

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Getting Around

Maroua

–

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Sport & Entertainment

Maroua

–

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Good to know

🇨🇲 Maroua

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

20:06 8:06 PM

14:06 2:06 PM

6 h behind Maroua

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,119,000

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Central African CFA Franc XAF Fr

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 585 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 653 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

USD to XAF in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Maroua Medellin 9,870 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Maroua
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

Maroua vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Maroua is about 79% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $522 in Maroua and $2,459 in Medellin to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 58% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $348 per month in Maroua versus $1,639 in Medellin – Maroua is about 79% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $348 in Maroua versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Maroua but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Maroua 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.