Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bamenda

For one person, living is cheaper in Bamenda: $670 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Bamenda
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Bamenda Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Bamenda

🇨🇲 Cameroon

$670

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Bamenda

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Bamenda actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $670 in Bamenda, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Bamenda $670

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $897 in Bamenda, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Bamenda $897

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,123 in Bamenda, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Bamenda $1,123

Medellin costs about 145% more than Bamenda, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Bamenda is 51% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$5.05 FCFA 2,951

60.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$6.52 FCFA 3,814

45.71%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,734

$1.17 FCFA 682

157.26%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$1.74 FCFA 1,018

3.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,560

$0.63 FCFA 370

123.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$1.56 FCFA 912

103.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$1.66 FCFA 972

246.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,875

$2.78 FCFA 1,624

-45.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,677

$0.82 FCFA 482

190.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,719

$1.94 FCFA 1,138

-8.76%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,332

$2.96 FCFA 1,733

-2.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$3.74 FCFA 2,186

163.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$4.75 FCFA 2,779

194.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$2.59 FCFA 1,516

53.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,011

$0.82 FCFA 482

89.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,047

$1.17 FCFA 684

86.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,050

$1.29 FCFA 755

68.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,336

$2.98 FCFA 1,741

-34.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,131

$1.51 FCFA 886

5.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,698

$0.78 FCFA 455

47.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.77 FCFA 451

61.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$1.73 FCFA 1,013

128.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$9.62 FCFA 5,628

42.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$1.40 FCFA 817

18.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,290

$1.65 FCFA 967

36.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,770

$1.31 FCFA 764

-10.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$8.99 FCFA 5,258

760.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$0.61 FCFA 359

108.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,611

$0.62 FCFA 362

230.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$5.52 FCFA 3,230

54.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,348

$1.44 FCFA 840

-6.25%

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)

$170 COP 547.7K

$171 FCFA 100.2K

-1.00%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$30.03 FCFA 17.6K

-54.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$42.80 FCFA 25.0K

-34.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$17.19 FCFA 10.1K

154.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$8.48 FCFA 4,960

-18.51%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$169 FCFA 99.1K

370.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$25.42 FCFA 14.9K

233.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.1K

$42.49 FCFA 24.9K

36.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.7K

$46.74 FCFA 27.3K

188.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$51.2 FCFA 29.9K

91.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$68.7 FCFA 40.2K

1658.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$33.55 FCFA 19.6K

1812.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

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

$97.3 FCFA 56.9K

575.17%

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 Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Bamenda: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Bamenda

$34 5% 94.8% $608

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Bamenda

$171 * 25.6% 42.3% $126

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Bamenda

$244 36.4% 15.6% $33

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Bamenda

$95 14.1% 44.3% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Bamenda

$75 11.1% 55.8% $94

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Bamenda

$18 2.7% 80.8% $76

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Bamenda

$34 5.1% 40.6% $23

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $69 in Bamenda. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Medellin are about 6.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇲 Bamenda

🕒 Local time

13:22 1:22 PM

19:22 7:22 PM

6 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

1,735,000

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Central African CFA Franc XAF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XAF, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

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).

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).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Bamenda 9,470 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Bamenda

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

Medellin vs Bamenda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,639 in Medellin, $670 in Bamenda – Bamenda comes out roughly 59% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,006 in Bamenda. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bamenda, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $69 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $670 in Bamenda. That makes Bamenda about 59% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Medellin and $169 in Bamenda. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Bamenda, where all-in costs run around $670, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Bamenda it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bamenda – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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