Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ouagadougou

For one person, living is cheaper in Ouagadougou: $1,158 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index
56

Cost of Living Index in Ouagadougou
Learn more

Ouagadougou Living Index

Jump to prices

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Ouagadougou

🇧🇫 Burkina Faso

$1,158

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Ouagadougou

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $1,158 in Ouagadougou, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Ouagadougou $1,158

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,908 in Ouagadougou, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Ouagadougou $1,908

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $2,658 in Ouagadougou, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Ouagadougou $2,658

Medellin costs about 42% more than Ouagadougou, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Ouagadougou is 15% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$7.06 F CFA 4,148

14.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$25.18 F CFA 14.8K

86.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$7.34 F CFA 4,312

29.43%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$2.04 F CFA 1,199

47.55%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$1.05 F CFA 616

71.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$1.10 F CFA 647

28.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$1.20 F CFA 707

165.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$2.62 F CFA 1,541

119.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$1.95 F CFA 1,147

-22.56%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$1.12 F CFA 661

112.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$0.84 F CFA 491

110.71%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$2.52 F CFA 1,482

14.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$16.97 F CFA 9,970

-39.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$20.39 F CFA 12.0K

-51.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$14.70 F CFA 8,637

-4.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$4.61 F CFA 2,709

-13.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$3.34 F CFA 1,963

-34.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$3.79 F CFA 2,226

-42.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$1.52 F CFA 890

28.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$1.66 F CFA 975

-4.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$1.30 F CFA 764

-11.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$1.35 F CFA 792

-8.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$1.28 F CFA 753

209.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$6.02 F CFA 3,536

127.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$1.44 F CFA 844

15.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

$2.54 F CFA 1,491

-11.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$0.15 F CFA 85.7

680.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$0.52 F CFA 306

144.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

$0.81 F CFA 475

153.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$8.54 F CFA 5,018

0.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$1.43 F CFA 838

-5.59%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$36.8K F CFA 21.6M

-7.46%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$31.4K F CFA 18.4M

10.52%

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$176 F CFA 103.2K

-3.45%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$26.04 F CFA 15.3K

-47.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$54.0 F CFA 31.7K

-48.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$59.2 F CFA 34.8K

-26.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$8.27 F CFA 4,856

107.86%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$6.71 F CFA 3,942

2.98%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$33.99 F CFA 20.0K

2243.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$6,080 F CFA 3.6M

49.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$34.58 F CFA 20.3K

145.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

$50.6 F CFA 29.7K

14.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

$86.4 F CFA 50.7K

56.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$103 F CFA 60.4K

-4.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$337 F CFA 198.1K

258.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$228 F CFA 133.6K

182.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$1,312 F CFA 770.5K

54.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$738 F CFA 433.8K

37.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$849 F CFA 499.0K

391.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$251 F CFA 147.6K

660.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$607 F CFA 356.6K

8.26%

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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ouagadougou: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Ouagadougou

$228 19.7% 64.5% $414

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Ouagadougou

$350 * 30.3% 17.9% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Ouagadougou

$256 22.1% 21.1% $45

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Ouagadougou

$123 10.6% 27.6% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Ouagadougou

$123 10.7% 26.9% $46

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Ouagadougou

$5.2 * 0.4% 94.5% $88

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Ouagadougou

$73 6.3% 26.2% $15

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $337 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 8% 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 in Medellin versus $25 in Ouagadougou. Groceries tell a different story – $297 in Medellin vs $350 in Ouagadougou – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇧🇫 Ouagadougou

🕒 Local time

23:47 11:47 PM

04:47 4:47 AM

5 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

1,915,102 Capital

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

1,000 XOF = 1.7 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XOF, 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 = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

West African CFA Franc exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 587 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.7 USD). 1 EUR = 656 XOF (1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Ouagadougou 8,130 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Ouagadougou

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 Ouagadougou: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 42%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,736 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $337 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $25 in Ouagadougou. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 15% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$2,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,639 in Medellin and $1,158 in Ouagadougou, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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 or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.