Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Dakar

For one person, living is cheaper in Dakar: $1,415 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 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
68

Cost of Living Index in Dakar
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Dakar Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Dakar

🇸🇳 Senegal

$1,415

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Dakar

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,625 in Medellin versus $1,415 in Dakar.

Medellin $1,625
Dakar $1,415

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,412 in Medellin versus $2,220 in Dakar.

Medellin $2,412
Dakar $2,220

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,199 in Medellin versus $3,026 in Dakar.

Medellin $3,199
Dakar $3,026

Living in Medellin is roughly 15% more expensive than in Dakar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 20% above, Dakar 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$5.23 F CFA 3,051

58.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$52.0 F CFA 30.3K

-9.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$11.25 F CFA 6,561

-17.87%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$3.43 F CFA 1,999

-11.08%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$1.25 F CFA 728

44.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$0.92 F CFA 538

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$2.52 F CFA 1,469

28.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$4.24 F CFA 2,473

31.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

$2.60 F CFA 1,513

-42.31%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

$0.76 F CFA 445

211.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

$1.66 F CFA 967

2.41%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$2.52 F CFA 1,467

17.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$17.67 F CFA 10.3K

-42.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$9.03 F CFA 5,268

7.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$10.89 F CFA 6,349

27.64%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$3.27 F CFA 1,906

26.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$1.86 F CFA 1,084

-17.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$2.99 F CFA 1,741

-25.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$1.71 F CFA 999

32.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$1.33 F CFA 776

49.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$0.97 F CFA 566

72.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

$1.13 F CFA 661

4.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$0.69 F CFA 403

79.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$2.20 F CFA 1,282

75.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

$17.00 F CFA 9,912

-18.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

$1.58 F CFA 923

5.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

$3.30 F CFA 1,923

-27.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

$0.41 F CFA 239

202.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

$77.0 F CFA 44.9K

1.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

$2.13 F CFA 1,241

-39.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

$2.20 F CFA 1,284

-2.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

$17.16 F CFA 10.0K

-51.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$1.64 F CFA 956

-17.68%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

$49.7K F CFA 29.0M

-29.99%

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

$47.9K F CFA 27.9M

-27.64%

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$202 F CFA 117.7K

-17.47%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$11.68 F CFA 6,811

16.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$46.07 F CFA 26.9K

-36.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

$44.29 F CFA 25.8K

1.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

$22.92 F CFA 13.4K

-25.04%

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

$8.32 F CFA 4,852

-16.23%

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

$790 COP 2.5M

$327 F CFA 190.5K

141.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

$10.4K F CFA 6.1M

-13.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$58.6 F CFA 34.2K

49.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$44.95 F CFA 26.2K

29.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$87.1 F CFA 50.8K

59.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$97.1 F CFA 56.6K

1.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$827 F CFA 482.1K

24.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

$430 F CFA 250.9K

44.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$1,724 F CFA 1.0M

9.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$916 F CFA 534.2K

9.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

$4,838 F CFA 2.8M

-17.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

$1,494 F CFA 871.1K

13.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$341 F CFA 198.7K

94.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

8.75

25.03%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Dakar: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Dakar

$430 30.4% 30.6% $189

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Dakar

$296 21% 0.5% $1.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Dakar

$260 18.4% 24% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Dakar

$129 9.2% 25.1% $43

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Dakar

$147 10.4% 14.2% $24

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Dakar

$92 6.5% 3.6% $3.5

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Dakar

$61 4.3% 3.2% $1.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,028 in Medellin and $827 in Dakar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 95% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47.00 in Medellin vs $52.0 in Dakar. Groceries flip the comparison at $298 vs $296, with Dakar cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇸🇳 Dakar

🕒 Local time

07:31 7:31 AM

12:31 12:31 PM

5 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

2,396,800 Capital

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XOF, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

West African CFA Franc exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 583 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.53 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Dakar 6,410 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Dakar

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 Dakar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Dakar differ by about 15% in total monthly costs ($1,625 vs $1,415 including rent). Dakar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 95% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,028 in Medellin versus $827 in Dakar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,625 per month in Medellin versus $1,415 in Dakar – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dakar runs roughly 2% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,415 in Dakar versus $1,625 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Dakar but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Dakar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Dakar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.