Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Dakar Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Dakar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,716 in Medellin versus $1,470 in Dakar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,527 in Medellin versus $2,312 in Dakar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,338 in Medellin versus $3,154 in Dakar.

Living in Medellin is roughly 17% more expensive than in Dakar, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 25% above, Dakar 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.2K

$5.22 F CFA 2,943

53.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 151.7K

$55.8 F CFA 31.5K

-13.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.7K

$11.44 F CFA 6,446

-14.60%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,149

$3.56 F CFA 2,006

-18.26%

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

$1.94 COP 6,110

$1.25 F CFA 707

55.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,783

$0.89 F CFA 501

70.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,721

$2.61 F CFA 1,470

18.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 18.1K

$4.38 F CFA 2,467

31.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,287

$2.85 F CFA 1,604

-52.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,505

$0.77 F CFA 434

210.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,346

$1.77 F CFA 996

-3.95%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 9,021

$2.54 F CFA 1,431

12.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.2K

$17.81 F CFA 10.0K

-44.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.9K

$9.26 F CFA 5,220

16.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.3K

$11.35 F CFA 6,395

29.78%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$3.35 F CFA 1,886

22.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,940

$2.01 F CFA 1,136

-21.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,682

$2.97 F CFA 1,674

-28.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,959

$1.87 F CFA 1,054

18.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,435

$1.39 F CFA 784

47.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,728

$0.99 F CFA 556

51.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,740

$1.14 F CFA 642

4.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,640

$0.67 F CFA 378

73.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$2.17 F CFA 1,225

79.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.4K

$18.05 F CFA 10.2K

-20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,978

$1.62 F CFA 911

-2.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,889

$3.37 F CFA 1,897

-16.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,672

$0.38 F CFA 215

207.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 244.3K

$81.3 F CFA 45.8K

-4.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,038

$2.25 F CFA 1,270

-43.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,576

$2.25 F CFA 1,267

-7.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 27.1K

$17.99 F CFA 10.1K

-52.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,080

$1.68 F CFA 946

-22.62%

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

$27.7K COP 86.9M

$52.4K F CFA 29.5M

-47.19%

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

$35.5K COP 111.6M

$49.8K F CFA 28.1M

-28.76%

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

$176 COP 553.4K

$213 F CFA 119.9K

-17.22%

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

$13.37 COP 42.0K

$11.99 F CFA 6,756

11.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 94.0K

$47.19 F CFA 26.6K

-36.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 140.7K

$46.17 F CFA 26.0K

-3.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.6K

$24.08 F CFA 13.6K

-29.15%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.5K

$8.72 F CFA 4,916

-28.90%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$330 F CFA 186.1K

140.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.4M

$10.8K F CFA 6.1M

-16.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 269.1K

$59.7 F CFA 33.6K

43.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 183.8K

$47.50 F CFA 26.8K

23.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 428.4K

$89.6 F CFA 50.5K

52.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 324.1K

$100 F CFA 56.4K

3.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$841 F CFA 474.1K

25.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$445 F CFA 250.8K

52.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$1,781 F CFA 1.0M

12.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$957 F CFA 539.4K

22.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.9M

$4,987 F CFA 2.8M

-17.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$1,582 F CFA 891.6K

7.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

$352 F CFA 198.4K

89.03%

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: August 30, 2026

Last update for Dakar: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,060 in Medellin and $841 in Dakar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 89% 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: $48.00 in Medellin vs $56.0 in Dakar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $307 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

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 17% in total monthly costs ($1,716 vs $1,470 including rent). Dakar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 89% 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: $1,060 in Medellin versus $841 in Dakar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,716 per month in Medellin versus $1,470 in Dakar – a 17% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dakar runs roughly 5% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,470 in Dakar versus $1,716 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 17% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.