Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Nouakchott Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Nouakchott

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $726 in Nouakchott, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $1,199 in Nouakchott, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $1,673 in Nouakchott, rent included.

Medellin costs about 126% more than Nouakchott, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Nouakchott is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$2.56 MRU 102

214.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.7K

$24.12 MRU 965

100.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$6.10 MRU 244

54.43%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.79 MRU 71.5

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 MRU 68.7

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,045

$2.30 MRU 92.1

27.83%

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

$1.86 COP 5,738

$1.79 MRU 71.7

3.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,481

$2.19 MRU 87.6

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,887

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,431

$1.57 MRU 62.7

-8.28%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,393

$0.26 MRU 10.36

823.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,230

$1.31 MRU 52.6

29.77%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,901

$2.24 MRU 89.8

29.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 31.0K

$5.89 MRU 236

70.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$5.41 MRU 216

84.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$7.27 MRU 291

95.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$2.86 MRU 115

39.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,880

$1.78 MRU 71.1

-11.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,627

$1.38 MRU 55.0

55.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,082

$0.90 MRU 36.03

155.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,172

$0.78 MRU 31.20

156.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,648

$0.87 MRU 34.66

73.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,703

$0.73 MRU 29.16

64.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,948

$0.59 MRU 23.52

116.95%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$10.17 MRU 407

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 MRU 105

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 MRU 67.2

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$2.46 MRU 98.4

56.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,259

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,444

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,836

$0.46 MRU 18.57

171.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.9K

$21.87 MRU 876

256.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,018

$0.89 MRU 35.69

47.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,684

$0.35 MRU 14.13

520.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$3.51 MRU 140

136.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,174

$1.46 MRU 58.5

-6.85%

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

$27.5K COP 84.6M

$7,435 MRU 297.6K

269.53%

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

$36.5K COP 112.5M

$8,979 MRU 359.4K

306.95%

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

$169 COP 519.5K

$129 MRU 5,148

31.20%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$22.36 MRU 895

-39.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$59.5 MRU 2,380

-52.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.8K

$29.92 MRU 1,198

52.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$246 MRU 9,852

-93.00%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$4.04 MRU 162

64.60%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$449 MRU 18.0K

78.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$7,502 MRU 300.3K

22.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 269.0K

$22.47 MRU 900

288.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.8K

$22.51 MRU 901

163.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.7K

$68.8 MRU 2,756

101.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.2K

$41.81 MRU 1,674

144.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$217 MRU 8,678

393.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$150 MRU 5,989

336.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$735 MRU 29.4K

161.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$286 MRU 11.4K

266.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$6,369 MRU 254.9K

-35.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$2,930 MRU 117.3K

-42.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$577 MRU 23.1K

13.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-45.30%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Nouakchott: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,071 in Medellin versus $217 in Nouakchott. 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 13% 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $24.00 in Nouakchott. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $300 vs $148 – making Nouakchott the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Nouakchott: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 126%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,462 per month in Medellin and $1,089 in Nouakchott. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Nouakchott, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin and $24.00 in Nouakchott. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,641 in Medellin and $726 in Nouakchott. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Nouakchott, where all-in costs run around $726, than in Medellin at $1,641. In Nouakchott it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Nouakchott – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Nouakchott. 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.