Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ouagadougou Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ouagadougou

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,641 per month in Medellin vs $1,228 in Ouagadougou, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,447 per month in Medellin vs $2,025 in Ouagadougou, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,253 per month in Medellin vs $2,823 in Ouagadougou, rent included.

Medellin costs about 34% more than Ouagadougou, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Ouagadougou is 11% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$7.41 F CFA 4,188

8.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$26.85 F CFA 15.2K

79.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$7.56 F CFA 4,274

24.60%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$2.11 F CFA 1,192

39.34%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$1.13 F CFA 639

64.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$1.10 F CFA 619

32.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$1.23 F CFA 693

160.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$2.59 F CFA 1,462

120.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$2.04 F CFA 1,153

-29.41%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$1.13 F CFA 639

112.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$0.87 F CFA 494

95.40%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$2.61 F CFA 1,473

10.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$17.51 F CFA 9,894

-42.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$20.94 F CFA 11.8K

-52.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$15.74 F CFA 8,896

-9.78%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$4.88 F CFA 2,759

-18.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$3.47 F CFA 1,963

-38.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$3.88 F CFA 2,193

-40.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$1.59 F CFA 899

25.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$1.80 F CFA 1,015

-16.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$1.37 F CFA 772

-12.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$1.38 F CFA 780

-7.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$1.39 F CFA 786

176.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$6.23 F CFA 3,519

124.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$1.45 F CFA 817

17.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$2.63 F CFA 1,486

4.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$0.20 F CFA 114

525.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$0.51 F CFA 288

156.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$0.88 F CFA 496

146.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$8.79 F CFA 4,966

-5.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.49 F CFA 844

-8.72%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$38.6K F CFA 21.8M

-28.91%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$32.2K F CFA 18.2M

13.58%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$184 F CFA 103.9K

-8.26%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$26.98 F CFA 15.2K

-49.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$55.2 F CFA 31.2K

-48.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$61.8 F CFA 34.9K

-25.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$8.68 F CFA 4,907

98.39%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$6.94 F CFA 3,923

-4.18%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$36.13 F CFA 20.4K

2123.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$6,178 F CFA 3.5M

48.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$35.07 F CFA 19.8K

149.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$53.7 F CFA 30.3K

10.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$90.0 F CFA 50.9K

54.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$106 F CFA 59.9K

-3.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$347 F CFA 196.3K

208.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$238 F CFA 134.2K

174.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$1,398 F CFA 790.2K

37.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$756 F CFA 427.3K

38.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$887 F CFA 501.1K

364.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$261 F CFA 147.5K

550.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$612 F CFA 345.7K

7.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-8.83%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Ouagadougou: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,071 in Medellin versus $347 in Ouagadougou. 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 7% 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 $27.00 in Ouagadougou. Groceries tell a different story – $300 in Medellin vs $363 in Ouagadougou – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Ouagadougou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 34%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. 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 $1,842 in Ouagadougou. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ouagadougou, 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 $27.00 in Ouagadougou. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 21% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Ouagadougou, where all-in costs run around $1,228, than in Medellin at $1,641. In Ouagadougou it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ouagadougou – 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 Ouagadougou. 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.