Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bouake Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bouake

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $750 in Bouake.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,255 in Bouake.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,761 in Bouake.

Living in Medellin is roughly 124% more expensive than in Bouake, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Bouake is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$2.63 F CFA 1,502

204.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$71.0 F CFA 40.6K

-32.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$10.37 F CFA 5,926

-4.63%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$1.92 F CFA 1,097

63.02%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$0.80 F CFA 458

138.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.74 F CFA 423

104.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$1.08 F CFA 617

188.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$1.75 F CFA 1,000

228.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$2.16 F CFA 1,236

-33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$0.52 F CFA 297

378.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$1.17 F CFA 668

51.28%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$2.31 F CFA 1,321

28.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$21.69 F CFA 12.4K

-53.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$5.99 F CFA 3,421

68.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$6.03 F CFA 3,446

137.15%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$4.12 F CFA 2,355

0.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.11 F CFA 634

45.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$2.18 F CFA 1,243

3.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$2.41 F CFA 1,376

-6.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$1.82 F CFA 1,037

12.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$1.66 F CFA 948

-7.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$0.75 F CFA 427

56.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.82 F CFA 471

59.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$1.75 F CFA 999

122.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$5.14 F CFA 2,938

172.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.08 F CFA 616

61.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$1.32 F CFA 757

117.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$1.78 F CFA 1,017

-26.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$1.78 F CFA 1,017

23.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$26.03 F CFA 14.9K

-66.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.51 F CFA 861

-9.27%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$29.3K F CFA 16.8M

-5.14%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$27.7K F CFA 15.8M

29.11%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$171 F CFA 97.5K

3.92%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$25.35 F CFA 14.5K

-45.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$34.70 F CFA 19.8K

-14.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$8.96 F CFA 5,123

-25.78%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$373 F CFA 213.2K

117.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$4,807 F CFA 2.7M

91.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$96.2 F CFA 55.0K

-6.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$37.09 F CFA 21.2K

58.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$78.1 F CFA 44.6K

76.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$145 F CFA 83.0K

-29.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

15.75

-30.54%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Bouake: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $71.0 in Bouake. Groceries flip the comparison at $305 vs $242, with Bouake 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 Bouake: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bouake wins on cost – living expenses run 124% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bouake the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,521 in Medellin and $1,124 in Bouake 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 26% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,681 per month in Medellin versus $750 in Bouake – a 124% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $750 in Bouake versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bouake but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Bouake the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bouake delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $750 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bouake hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Bouake gentler on the wallet – expenses run 124% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.