Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nouakchott and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Nouakchott: $807 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

39

Cost of Living Index in Nouakchott
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Nouakchott Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Nouakchott

🇲🇷 Mauritania

$807

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nouakchott and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Nouakchott and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $807 per month in Nouakchott vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Nouakchott $807
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $1,326 per month in Nouakchott vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Nouakchott $1,326
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $1,845 per month in Nouakchott vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Nouakchott $1,845
Medellin $3,186

Nouakchott is about 51% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Nouakchott sits 41% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.54 MRU 102

$8.09 COP 25.6K

-68.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.12 MRU 968

$47.05 COP 148.7K

-48.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.97 MRU 240

$9.50 COP 30.0K

-37.16%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.71 MRU 68.7

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 MRU 67.8

Cappuccino

$2.32 MRU 93.1

$3.01 COP 9,532

-22.92%

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

$1.79 MRU 71.8

$1.80 COP 5,688

-0.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 MRU 85.3

$1.41 COP 4,465

50.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.2K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 MRU 64.5

$1.51 COP 4,774

6.62%

White Bread (500g)

$0.28 MRU 11.36

$2.38 COP 7,517

-88.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 MRU 55.3

$1.77 COP 5,601

-22.03%

Eggs

$2.25 MRU 90.4

$2.89 COP 9,138

-22.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.01 MRU 241

$10.19 COP 32.2K

-41.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.47 MRU 220

$9.87 COP 31.2K

-44.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.31 MRU 293

$13.99 COP 44.2K

-47.75%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 MRU 130

$3.97 COP 12.6K

-18.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 MRU 73.2

$1.55 COP 4,907

17.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.55 MRU 62.3

$2.18 COP 6,901

-28.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.16 MRU 46.58

$2.18 COP 6,904

-46.79%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 MRU 37.54

$1.96 COP 6,205

-52.55%

Onion (1kg)

$0.88 MRU 35.41

$1.59 COP 5,025

-44.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.73 MRU 29.19

$1.15 COP 3,622

-36.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 MRU 24.49

$1.24 COP 3,930

-50.81%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$10.25 MRU 411

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 MRU 105

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 MRU 68.5

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.45 MRU 98.3

$3.96 COP 12.5K

-38.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.3K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,247

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,139

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 MRU 18.92

$1.17 COP 3,692

-59.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.95 MRU 881

$77.4 COP 244.6K

-71.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.90 MRU 36.18

$1.27 COP 4,009

-29.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.38 MRU 15.38

$2.05 COP 6,474

-81.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 MRU 142

$8.55 COP 27.0K

-58.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 MRU 56.8

$1.35 COP 4,258

4.44%

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

$7,363 MRU 295.6K

$34.1K COP 107.7M

-78.39%

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

$8,951 MRU 359.4K

$34.7K COP 109.6M

-74.18%

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

$127 MRU 5,103

$170 COP 536.4K

-25.08%

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

$21.88 MRU 879

$13.55 COP 42.8K

61.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.2 MRU 2,375

$28.07 COP 88.7K

110.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$85.1 MRU 3,415

$43.70 COP 138.2K

94.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$249 MRU 10.0K

$17.19 COP 54.3K

1349.62%

Cinema Ticket

$4.08 MRU 164

$6.91 COP 21.9K

-40.96%

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

$449 MRU 18.0K

$797 COP 2.5M

-43.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,617 MRU 305.8K

$9,112 COP 28.8M

-16.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$15.34 MRU 616

$84.7 COP 267.8K

-81.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.81 MRU 916

$58.0 COP 183.2K

-60.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.8 MRU 2,721

$135 COP 426.7K

-49.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$46.43 MRU 1,864

$97.9 COP 309.4K

-52.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$288 MRU 11.6K

$1,208 COP 3.8M

-76.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$174 MRU 6,999

$642 COP 2.0M

-72.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$728 MRU 29.2K

$2,028 COP 6.4M

-64.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$317 MRU 12.7K

$1,012 COP 3.2M

-68.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.2M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$641 MRU 25.8K

$657 COP 2.1M

-2.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

82.82%

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

Last update for Nouakchott: October 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nouakchott

$208 25.8%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 1.5% $3.1

Accommodation & Living

Nouakchott

$174 21.6%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 268% $467

Groceries & Markets

Nouakchott

$155 19.2%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 92.1% $142

Sport & Entertainment

Nouakchott

$93 11.6%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 38.3% $36

Eating Out

Nouakchott

$82 10.1%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 108% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Nouakchott

$69 8.5%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 147% $100

Getting Around

Nouakchott

$27 3.3%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 251% $67

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $288 in Nouakchott versus $1,208 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24 in Nouakchott versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $155 vs $297 – making Nouakchott the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇷 Nouakchott

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

14:54 2:54 PM

09:54 9:54 AM

5 h behind Nouakchott

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

958,399 Capital

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Mauritanian Ouguiya MRU UM

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MRU = 2.49 USD

100 MRU = 2.23 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.16 USD

10,000 COP = 2.83 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to MRU – Mauritanian Ouguiya Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇷 Mauritanian Ouguiya (UM)

Mauritanian Ouguiya exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 40.15 MRU (100 MRU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 44.81 MRU (100 MRU = 2.23 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,162 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,528 COP (10,000 COP = 2.83 EUR).

USD to MRU in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Nouakchott Medellin 6,590 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Nouakchott
Medellin

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

Nouakchott vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 103%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,211 per month in Nouakchott and $2,459 in Medellin. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $288 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $24 in Nouakchott and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $807 in Nouakchott and $1,639 in Medellin. That makes Nouakchott about 51% cheaper.

$800 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $807 in Nouakchott and $1,639 in Medellin. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

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.

For expats, Nouakchott is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 51% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.