Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bafoussam Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bafoussam

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,555 in Medellin versus $964 in Bafoussam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,314 in Medellin versus $1,669 in Bafoussam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,072 in Medellin versus $2,374 in Bafoussam.

Living in Medellin is roughly 61% more expensive than in Bafoussam, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 15% above, Bafoussam is 29% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.59 COP 24.7K

$4.28 FCFA 2,493

77.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.78 COP 145.7K

$120 FCFA 70.1K

-62.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 30.1K

$6.81 FCFA 3,968

35.68%

Cappuccino

$2.95 COP 9,591

$2.17 FCFA 1,263

35.94%

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

$1.80 COP 5,861

$1.65 FCFA 958

9.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 COP 4,391

$0.79 FCFA 462

70.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 COP 9,544

$1.24 FCFA 723

136.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.46 COP 17.8K

$2.55 FCFA 1,484

114.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 COP 4,663

$2.95 FCFA 1,715

-51.53%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,785

$0.43 FCFA 251

455.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 COP 5,209

$2.18 FCFA 1,271

-26.61%

Eggs

$2.88 COP 9,364

$1.95 FCFA 1,135

47.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.71 COP 31.6K

$22.41 FCFA 13.0K

-56.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.44 COP 30.7K

$7.90 FCFA 4,603

19.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.24 COP 43.1K

$6.28 FCFA 3,656

110.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.75 COP 12.2K

$4.67 FCFA 2,718

-19.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 COP 4,703

$2.10 FCFA 1,225

-30.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,829

$2.03 FCFA 1,180

3.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,930

$1.39 FCFA 810

53.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 COP 6,259

$3.38 FCFA 1,966

-43.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,984

$2.15 FCFA 1,252

-28.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 COP 3,549

$0.77 FCFA 449

41.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 COP 3,843

$0.63 FCFA 370

87.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.79 COP 12.3K

$2.65 FCFA 1,543

43.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.16 COP 42.8K

$8.81 FCFA 5,130

49.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 COP 5,337

$1.51 FCFA 878

8.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 COP 7,410

$1.74 FCFA 1,015

31.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,825

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.6 COP 239.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,157

$0.60 FCFA 348

113.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 COP 6,434

$0.91 FCFA 531

117.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 COP 25.7K

$8.40 FCFA 4,893

-6.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 COP 4,211

$1.44 FCFA 839

-10.42%

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

$26.8K COP 87.2M

$30.0K FCFA 17.5M

-10.65%

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

$34.7K COP 112.9M

$15.7K FCFA 9.1M

121.51%

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

$158 COP 513.6K

$165 FCFA 95.9K

-4.20%

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

$13.39 COP 43.6K

$26.17 FCFA 15.2K

-48.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.28 COP 88.8K

$181 FCFA 105.7K

-84.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.15 COP 143.7K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.99 COP 52.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.39 COP 20.8K

$8.78 FCFA 5,112

-27.22%

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

$777 COP 2.5M

$521 FCFA 303.7K

48.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,800 COP 28.6M

$3,410 FCFA 2.0M

158.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.7 COP 269.2K

$81.6 FCFA 47.5K

1.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 COP 182.6K

$68.4 FCFA 39.8K

-17.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 COP 425.7K

$140 FCFA 81.5K

-6.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.9 COP 312.1K

$151 FCFA 87.9K

-36.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$627 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,826 COP 5.9M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$969 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,907 COP 12.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,576 COP 5.1M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$620 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

19.04

-42.54%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 28, 2026

Last update for Bafoussam: September 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $45.00 in Medellin vs $120 in Bafoussam. Groceries flip the comparison at $285 vs $281, with Bafoussam cheaper for home cooking.

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

Medellin vs Bafoussam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bafoussam wins on cost – living expenses run 61% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bafoussam the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,333 in Medellin and $1,446 in Bafoussam 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.

Childcare runs $777 in Medellin versus $521 in Bafoussam. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Bafoussam – a meal for two runs $120 versus $45.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $964 in Bafoussam versus $1,555 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bafoussam but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Bafoussam the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bafoussam delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $964 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bafoussam hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Bafoussam are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Bafoussam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.