Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Maroua

For one person, living is cheaper in Maroua: $348 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $15,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Maroua

🇨🇲 Cameroon

$348

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Maroua

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $348 in Maroua.

Medellin $1,639
Maroua $348

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $519 in Maroua.

Medellin $2,413
Maroua $519

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $690 in Maroua.

Medellin $3,186
Maroua $690

Living in Medellin is roughly 371% more expensive than in Maroua, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Maroua is 74% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,734

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,560

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,875

$1.66 FCFA 972

-9.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,677

$0.84 FCFA 489

183.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,719

$2.84 FCFA 1,662

-37.68%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,332

$5.62 FCFA 3,290

-48.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$5.13 FCFA 2,998

98.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$5.24 FCFA 3,064

88.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$3.31 FCFA 1,936

322.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$1.72 FCFA 1,003

130.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,011

$0.87 FCFA 508

78.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,047

$0.87 FCFA 511

150.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,050

$1.74 FCFA 1,016

25.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,336

$2.60 FCFA 1,519

-24.62%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,131

$1.71 FCFA 1,000

-7.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,698

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.82 FCFA 480

51.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$11.12 FCFA 6,504

23.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$0.87 FCFA 511

90.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,290

$1.75 FCFA 1,022

29.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,770

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,611

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,348

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

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

$170 COP 547.7K

$51.6 FCFA 30.2K

229.10%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$8.43 FCFA 4,932

60.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$16.99 FCFA 9,937

157.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$1.69 FCFA 988

917.16%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

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

$797 COP 2.6M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.1K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$83.7 FCFA 48.9K

666.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$154 FCFA 89.9K

558.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Maroua: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Maroua

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Maroua

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Maroua

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Maroua

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Maroua

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Maroua

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Maroua

–

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇨🇲 Maroua

🕒 Local time

14:06 2:06 PM

20:06 8:06 PM

6 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

3,119,000

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Central African CFA Franc XAF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Central African CFA Franc exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 585 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.71 USD). 1 EUR = 653 XAF (1,000 XAF = 1.53 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Between locations

Medellin Maroua 9,870 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Maroua

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 Maroua: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Maroua is about 79% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, leisure, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $2,459 in Medellin and $522 in Maroua 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 58% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,639 per month in Medellin versus $348 in Maroua – Maroua is about 79% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $348 in Maroua versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Maroua but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Maroua 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.