Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Niamey

For one person, living is cheaper in Niamey: $1,338 a month against $1,589 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,589
/mo nomad
Niamey
🇳🇪 Niger
$1,338
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Niamey

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

A single person spends $1,589 per month in Medellin vs $1,338 in Niamey, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,589
  • Niamey $1,338

A couple spends around $2,364 per month in Medellin vs $1,732 in Niamey, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,364
  • Niamey $1,732

A family of three spends $3,139 per month in Medellin vs $2,125 in Niamey, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,139
  • Niamey $2,125

Medellin costs about 19% more than Niamey, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Medellin and Niamey sit above the global median – Medellin by 19%, Niamey by 0%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Niamey
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.01 COP 25.5K
$6.54 F CFA 3,829
22.48%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.55 COP 148.3K
$38.86 F CFA 22.7K
19.79%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.43 COP 30.1K
$9.68 F CFA 5,665
-2.58%
Cappuccino
$2.91 COP 9,277
$3.10 F CFA 1,815
-6.13%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75 COP 5,585
$1.47 F CFA 858
19.05%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.32 COP 4,218
$0.95 F CFA 555
38.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.13 COP 9,969
$1.34 F CFA 781
133.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.55 COP 17.7K
$2.95 F CFA 1,727
88.14%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Niamey
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.41 COP 4,495
$2.48 F CFA 1,453
-43.15%
White Bread (500g)
$2.44 COP 7,777
$0.57 F CFA 336
328.07%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.63 COP 5,191
$1.68 F CFA 982
-2.98%
Eggs
$2.82 COP 8,990
$2.18 F CFA 1,276
29.36%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.69 COP 30.9K
-
-
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.32 COP 29.7K
$5.95 F CFA 3,480
56.64%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.46 COP 42.9K
$7.61 F CFA 4,453
76.87%
Apples (1kg)
$4.00 COP 12.8K
$3.57 F CFA 2,088
12.04%
Banana (1kg)
$1.48 COP 4,719
$1.61 F CFA 941
-8.07%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.12 COP 6,768
$2.82 F CFA 1,649
-24.82%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.25 COP 7,178
$1.66 F CFA 971
35.54%
Potato (1kg)
$1.91 COP 6,092
$1.46 F CFA 855
30.82%
Onion (1kg)
$1.62 COP 5,160
$0.70 F CFA 412
131.43%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,658
$0.89 F CFA 521
29.21%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.26 COP 4,021
$1.07 F CFA 626
17.76%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.82 COP 12.2K
$2.62 F CFA 1,536
45.80%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.11 COP 41.8K
$13.94 F CFA 8,158
-5.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.60 COP 5,083
$1.37 F CFA 801
16.79%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,188
$3.43 F CFA 2,006
-34.11%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Niamey
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,731
$0.37 F CFA 214
216.22%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$75.0 COP 239.0K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 4,056
$0.45 F CFA 264
182.22%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,531
$0.36 F CFA 213
469.44%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.20 COP 26.1K
$8.81 F CFA 5,155
-6.92%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.27 COP 4,046
$0.93 F CFA 545
36.56%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.8K COP 85.3M
$20.8K F CFA 12.2M
28.60%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.4K COP 109.6M
$24.4K F CFA 14.3M
41.10%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Niamey
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$162 COP 516.9K
$171 F CFA 99.9K
-5.01%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.12 COP 41.8K
$17.34 F CFA 10.1K
-24.34%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.09 COP 89.5K
$88.1 F CFA 51.6K
-68.12%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Niamey
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.33 COP 141.2K
$75.6 F CFA 44.2K
-41.35%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.33 COP 52.0K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.09 COP 19.4K
$5.17 F CFA 3,027
17.79%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Niamey
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$764 COP 2.4M
$1,044 F CFA 610.9K
-26.79%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,904 COP 28.4M
$4,311 F CFA 2.5M
106.57%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Niamey
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$85.0 COP 270.8K
$70.6 F CFA 41.3K
20.30%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.5 COP 183.2K
$87.9 F CFA 51.4K
-34.59%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$132 COP 419.8K
$52.5 F CFA 30.7K
150.92%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$95.8 COP 305.1K
$68.9 F CFA 40.3K
38.89%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Niamey
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,028 COP 3.3M
$958 F CFA 560.6K
7.32%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$604 COP 1.9M
$526 F CFA 307.7K
14.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,802 COP 5.7M
$802 F CFA 469.1K
124.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$993 COP 3.2M
$428 F CFA 250.2K
132.13%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,921 COP 12.5M
$1,754 F CFA 1.0M
123.54%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,639 COP 5.2M
$982 F CFA 574.7K
66.81%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Niamey
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$626 COP 2.0M
$400 F CFA 233.8K
56.69%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
9
21.56%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Last update for Niamey: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$604
Niamey
$526 13% $79
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$288
Niamey
$209 * 27.4% $79
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$203
Niamey
$276 35.8% $73
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$166
Niamey
$126 24.3% $40
Eating Out
Medellin
$166
Niamey
$141 15.3% $25
Getting Around
Medellin
$91
Niamey
$3.7 * 95.9% $87
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$57
Niamey
$86 52.1% $29

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 $958 in Niamey. 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 57% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin versus $39.00 in Niamey. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $209 – making Niamey the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇳🇪 Niamey
🕒 Local time
08:06 8:06 AM
14:06 2:06 PM
6 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
1,026,848 Capital
Exchange rates and currency converter

XOF, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

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).

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

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Niamey 8,520 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Niamey

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 Niamey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Niamey cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 19%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,384 per month in Medellin and $2,008 in Niamey. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Niamey, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Niamey?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin and $39.00 in Niamey. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Medellin and in Niamey?
Groceries cost about 38% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Medellin or in Niamey?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Niamey, where all-in costs run around $1,338, than in Medellin at $1,589. In Niamey it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Medellin or Niamey more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Niamey – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Niamey. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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