Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ouagadougou and Medellin

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.

56

Cost of Living Index in Ouagadougou
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Ouagadougou Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Ouagadougou

🇧🇫 Burkina Faso

$1,158

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ouagadougou 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 Ouagadougou and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

Ouagadougou $1,158
Medellin $1,639

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

Ouagadougou $1,908
Medellin $2,413

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

Ouagadougou $2,658
Medellin $3,186

Ouagadougou is about 29% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.06 F CFA 4,147

$8.09 COP 26.1K

-12.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.18 F CFA 14.8K

$47.05 COP 151.7K

-46.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 F CFA 4,311

$9.50 COP 30.6K

-22.74%

Cappuccino

$2.04 F CFA 1,199

$3.01 COP 9,722

-32.23%

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

$1.05 F CFA 615

$1.80 COP 5,801

-41.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.10 F CFA 647

$1.41 COP 4,554

-21.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.20 F CFA 707

$3.18 COP 10.2K

-62.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 F CFA 1,541

$5.75 COP 18.5K

-54.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 F CFA 1,147

$1.51 COP 4,869

29.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.12 F CFA 661

$2.38 COP 7,667

-52.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.84 F CFA 491

$1.77 COP 5,712

-52.54%

Eggs

$2.52 F CFA 1,482

$2.89 COP 9,320

-12.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.97 F CFA 9,968

$10.19 COP 32.9K

66.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.39 F CFA 12.0K

$9.87 COP 31.8K

106.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.70 F CFA 8,635

$13.99 COP 45.1K

5.08%

Apples (1kg)

$4.61 F CFA 2,709

$3.97 COP 12.8K

16.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,005

Oranges (1kg)

$3.34 F CFA 1,962

$2.18 COP 7,039

53.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.79 F CFA 2,226

$2.18 COP 7,041

73.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 F CFA 890

$1.96 COP 6,328

-22.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 F CFA 974

$1.59 COP 5,125

4.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 F CFA 764

$1.15 COP 3,694

13.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 F CFA 792

$1.24 COP 4,009

8.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.28 F CFA 752

$3.96 COP 12.8K

-67.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.02 F CFA 3,535

$13.68 COP 44.1K

-55.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 F CFA 844

$1.66 COP 5,352

-13.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 F CFA 1,490

$2.26 COP 7,281

12.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.15 F CFA 85.7

$1.17 COP 3,766

-87.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.52 F CFA 306

$1.27 COP 4,089

-59.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 F CFA 475

$2.05 COP 6,603

-60.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.54 F CFA 5,017

$8.55 COP 27.6K

-0.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 F CFA 837

$1.35 COP 4,343

5.93%

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

$36.8K F CFA 21.6M

$34.1K COP 109.8M

8.06%

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

$31.4K F CFA 18.4M

$34.7K COP 111.8M

-9.51%

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

$176 F CFA 103.2K

$170 COP 547.0K

3.58%

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

$26.04 F CFA 15.3K

$13.55 COP 43.7K

92.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.0 F CFA 31.7K

$28.07 COP 90.5K

92.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.2 F CFA 34.8K

$43.70 COP 140.9K

35.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.27 F CFA 4,854

$17.19 COP 55.4K

-51.89%

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 F CFA 3,941

$6.91 COP 22.3K

-2.89%

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

$33.99 F CFA 20.0K

$797 COP 2.6M

-95.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,080 F CFA 3.6M

$9,112 COP 29.4M

-33.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.58 F CFA 20.3K

$84.7 COP 273.2K

-59.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.6 F CFA 29.7K

$58.0 COP 186.9K

-12.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 F CFA 50.7K

$135 COP 435.2K

-36.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 F CFA 60.4K

$97.9 COP 315.6K

5.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$337 F CFA 198.1K

$1,208 COP 3.9M

-72.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$228 F CFA 133.6K

$642 COP 2.1M

-64.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,312 F CFA 770.3K

$2,028 COP 6.5M

-35.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$738 F CFA 433.7K

$1,012 COP 3.3M

-27.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$849 F CFA 498.8K

$4,170 COP 13.4M

-79.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$251 F CFA 147.6K

$1,910 COP 6.2M

-86.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$607 F CFA 356.5K

$657 COP 2.1M

-7.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

9.69%

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

Last update for Ouagadougou: October 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ouagadougou

$350 * 30.3%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 15.2% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ouagadougou

$256 22.1%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 17.4% $45

Accommodation & Living

Ouagadougou

$228 19.7%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 182% $414

Clothing & Footwear

Ouagadougou

$123 10.7%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 36.9% $46

Eating Out

Ouagadougou

$123 10.6%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 38% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Ouagadougou

$73 6.3%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 20.8% $15

Getting Around

Ouagadougou

$5.2 * 0.4%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 1717% $88

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $337 in Ouagadougou 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.

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 $25 in Ouagadougou versus $47 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $350 in Ouagadougou vs $297 in Medellin – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇧🇫 Ouagadougou

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

20:36 8:36 PM

15:36 3:36 PM

5 h behind Ouagadougou

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,915,102 Capital

2,486,723

💱 Currency

West African CFA Franc XOF Fr

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 XOF = 1.7 USD

1,000 XOF = 1.52 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to XOF – West African CFA Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 West African CFA Franc (Fr)

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

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

USD to XOF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Ouagadougou Medellin 8,130 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Ouagadougou
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

Ouagadougou vs Medellin: 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 $1,736 per month in Ouagadougou 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 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 $25 in Ouagadougou and $47 in Medellin. 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 $1,158 in Ouagadougou and $1,639 in Medellin, 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.