Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cotonou Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cotonou

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,034 in Medellin versus $978 in Cotonou.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,577 in Medellin versus $1,407 in Cotonou.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,120 in Medellin versus $1,835 in Cotonou.

Living in Medellin is roughly 6% more expensive than Cotonou, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Cotonou 27% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.5K

$3.47 F CFA 1,946

70.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 119.1K

$26.93 F CFA 15.1K

21.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.2K

$5.24 F CFA 2,937

37.40%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,186

$5.52 F CFA 3,093

-69.20%

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

$1.10 COP 3,996

$0.86 F CFA 483

27.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,625

$0.78 F CFA 435

-7.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,067

$1.45 F CFA 813

15.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.3K

$3.49 F CFA 1,954

-11.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,837

$2.65 F CFA 1,484

-60.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,531

$1.38 F CFA 773

-9.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,060

$1.85 F CFA 1,035

-24.86%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,229

$2.18 F CFA 1,220

3.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.8K

$9.23 F CFA 5,173

-53.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.2K

$4.93 F CFA 2,760

18.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 32.1K

$5.13 F CFA 2,874

72.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,159

$3.89 F CFA 2,181

-42.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,911

$1.37 F CFA 770

-21.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,563

$1.27 F CFA 709

20.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,987

$1.77 F CFA 989

-22.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,109

$1.41 F CFA 788

-19.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,067

$1.45 F CFA 810

-22.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,080

$0.48 F CFA 266

77.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,305

$1.28 F CFA 717

-28.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,477

$2.33 F CFA 1,307

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.5K

$6.52 F CFA 3,655

70.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,342

$1.24 F CFA 697

-4.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,617

$2.28 F CFA 1,279

3.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,859

$1.80 F CFA 1,011

-56.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 149.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,223

$1.44 F CFA 809

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,952

$1.26 F CFA 704

51.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 29.2K

$1.79 F CFA 1,004

348.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,410

$1.06 F CFA 595

-11.32%

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

$17.9K COP 65.2M

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

$26.8K COP 97.4M

$24.3K F CFA 13.6M

10.30%

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

$84.0 COP 305.4K

$269 F CFA 150.7K

-68.80%

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

$9.60 COP 34.9K

$44.80 F CFA 25.1K

-78.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.9K

$55.5 F CFA 31.1K

-56.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 94.1K

$58.9 F CFA 33.0K

-56.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 69.3K

$5.44 F CFA 3,047

250.00%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.2K

$7.53 F CFA 4,217

-47.94%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$189 F CFA 106.0K

61.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.5M

$6,522 F CFA 3.7M

-9.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 210.6K

$17.58 F CFA 9,851

229.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 115.7K

$8.64 F CFA 4,840

268.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 363.3K

$9.04 F CFA 5,064

1005.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 389.7K

$49.26 F CFA 27.6K

117.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$202 F CFA 113.1K

141.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$149 F CFA 83.5K

146.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$577 F CFA 323.3K

43.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$285 F CFA 159.5K

151.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

168.60%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Last update for Cotonou: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Medellin and $202 in Cotonou. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $27.00 in Cotonou. Groceries flip the comparison at $190 vs $214, with Medellin 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 Cotonou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cotonou is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,550 in Medellin and $1,467 in Cotonou 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $487 in Medellin versus $202 in Cotonou. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 13% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,034 per month in Medellin versus $978 in Cotonou – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $978 in Cotonou versus $1,034 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cotonou but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Cotonou the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cotonou is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Cotonou gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.