Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Brazzaville

For one person, living is cheaper in Medellin: $1,589 a month against $1,931 in Brazzaville, rent and utilities included – about $4,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Brazzaville outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

77

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
93

Cost of Living Index in Brazzaville
Learn more

Brazzaville Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,589

/mo nomad

Brazzaville

🇨🇬 Republic of the Congo

$1,931

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Brazzaville

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 Brazzaville actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,589 per month in Medellin vs $1,931 in Brazzaville, rent included.

Medellin $1,589
Brazzaville $1,931

A couple spends around $2,364 per month in Medellin vs $2,959 in Brazzaville, rent included.

Medellin $2,364
Brazzaville $2,959

A family of three spends $3,139 per month in Medellin vs $3,986 in Brazzaville, rent included.

Medellin $3,139
Brazzaville $3,986

Medellin is about 18% cheaper than Brazzaville, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Medellin and Brazzaville sit above the global median – Medellin by 19%, Brazzaville by 44%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.01 COP 25.5K

$8.22 FCFA 4,812

-2.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 COP 148.3K

$49.75 FCFA 29.1K

-6.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 COP 30.1K

$4.85 FCFA 2,839

94.43%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,277

$4.05 FCFA 2,370

-28.15%

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

$1.75 COP 5,585

$1.59 FCFA 929

10.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 COP 4,218

$1.31 FCFA 766

0.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 COP 9,969

$5.58 FCFA 3,264

-43.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 COP 17.7K

$3.69 FCFA 2,157

50.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 COP 4,495

$2.75 FCFA 1,608

-48.73%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 COP 7,777

$4.81 FCFA 2,813

-49.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,191

$3.00 FCFA 1,754

-45.67%

Eggs

$2.82 COP 8,990

$2.87 FCFA 1,678

-1.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 COP 30.9K

$16.06 FCFA 9,399

-39.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 COP 29.7K

$9.45 FCFA 5,527

-1.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.46 COP 42.9K

$14.39 FCFA 8,422

-6.46%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 COP 12.8K

$2.42 FCFA 1,413

65.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,719

$1.75 FCFA 1,022

-15.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 COP 6,768

$3.57 FCFA 2,089

-40.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,178

$2.91 FCFA 1,701

-22.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 COP 6,092

$2.58 FCFA 1,509

-25.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 COP 5,160

$2.35 FCFA 1,376

-31.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,658

$1.36 FCFA 796

-15.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 COP 4,021

$0.83 FCFA 487

51.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 COP 12.2K

$3.73 FCFA 2,181

2.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.11 COP 41.8K

$10.38 FCFA 6,075

26.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 5,083

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,188

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,731

$0.25 FCFA 145

368.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.0 COP 239.0K

$23.00 FCFA 13.5K

226.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,056

$1.73 FCFA 1,011

-26.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,531

$1.31 FCFA 768

56.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.20 COP 26.1K

$6.75 FCFA 3,946

21.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 COP 4,046

$1.36 FCFA 798

-6.62%

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

$26.8K COP 85.3M

$29.5K FCFA 17.2M

-9.09%

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

$34.4K COP 109.6M

$26.9K FCFA 15.7M

27.82%

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

$162 COP 516.9K

$839 FCFA 491.1K

-80.67%

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

$13.12 COP 41.8K

$17.27 FCFA 10.1K

-24.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.09 COP 89.5K

$42.17 FCFA 24.7K

-33.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.33 COP 141.2K

$26.27 FCFA 15.4K

68.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 COP 52.0K

$13.90 FCFA 8,133

17.48%

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 COP 19.4K

$5.60 FCFA 3,279

8.75%

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

$764 COP 2.4M

$52.2 FCFA 30.5K

1365.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,904 COP 28.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.0 COP 270.8K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 COP 183.2K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 COP 419.8K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 COP 305.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$1,175 FCFA 687.2K

-12.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 COP 1.9M

$451 FCFA 264.1K

33.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,802 COP 5.7M

$3,203 FCFA 1.9M

-43.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$993 COP 3.2M

$1,449 FCFA 848.0K

-31.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,921 COP 12.5M

$3,458 FCFA 2.0M

13.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,639 COP 5.2M

$2,979 FCFA 1.7M

-45.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 COP 2.0M

$451 FCFA 264.1K

38.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.54

67.28%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Last update for Brazzaville: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$604 38.3%

Brazzaville

$451 23.4% 25.3% $153

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$288 18.3%

Brazzaville

$338 * 17.5% 17.1% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$203 12.9%

Brazzaville

$899 46.5% 342% $695

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Brazzaville

- * 0% 100%

Eating Out

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Brazzaville

$176 9.1% 5.7% $9.5

Getting Around

Medellin

$91 5.8%

Brazzaville

$32 1.7% 64.6% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.6%

Brazzaville

$37 1.9% 33.7% $19

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $1,175 in Brazzaville. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 39% higher in Medellin, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin versus $50.0 in Brazzaville. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $338 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇬 Brazzaville

🕒 Local time

05:33 5:33 AM

11:33 11:33 AM

6 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

1,932,610 Capital

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Central African CFA Franc XAF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.8 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 October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,187 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,571 COP (10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR).

Central African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 585 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Brazzaville 10,160 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Brazzaville

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 Brazzaville: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brazzaville costs about 22% more than Medellin, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,384 per month in Medellin and $2,897 in Brazzaville. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin and $50.0 in Brazzaville. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,589 in Medellin and $1,931 in Brazzaville. That's a gap of about 22%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,589, than in Brazzaville at $1,931. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brazzaville it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Medellin costs $1,589 versus $1,931 in Brazzaville. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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