Cost of Living Comparison Between El Ejido and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between El Ejido and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,460 in El Ejido versus $1,017 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,172 in El Ejido versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,883 in El Ejido versus $2,188 in Medellin.

Living in El Ejido is roughly 44% more expensive than Medellin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: El Ejido is 9% above, Medellin is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.09 €14.82

$5.95 COP 21.4K

187.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.0 €51.2

$33.33 COP 119.6K

76.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.12

$7.23 COP 26.0K

45.37%

Cappuccino

$2.09 €1.81

$1.63 COP 5,848

28.22%

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

$1.19 €1.03

$1.09 COP 3,929

9.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.53 €1.33

$0.73 COP 2,621

109.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.83 €2.45

$1.74 COP 6,237

62.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 €2.92

$3.23 COP 11.6K

4.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 €1.10

$1.05 COP 3,766

20.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 €1.50

$1.29 COP 4,643

34.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.49 €1.29

$1.32 COP 4,748

12.88%

Eggs

$2.92 €2.53

$2.27 COP 8,152

28.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.83 €10.26

$4.35 COP 15.6K

171.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.18 €7.96

$5.88 COP 21.1K

56.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.44 €12.52

$8.61 COP 30.9K

67.71%

Apples (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$2.25 COP 8,066

9.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 €1.38

$1.07 COP 3,839

48.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.38 €1.20

$1.52 COP 5,473

-9.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.36 €2.05

$1.42 COP 5,105

66.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.69 €1.46

$1.17 COP 4,199

44.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.60 €1.38

$1.17 COP 4,193

36.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 €0.94

$0.89 COP 3,183

21.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 €0.62

$0.90 COP 3,235

-21.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.91 €5.13

$2.25 COP 8,059

162.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.09 €4.41

$11.04 COP 39.6K

-53.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.14 COP 4,089

3.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 €1.64

$2.38 COP 8,537

-20.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 €1.49

$0.84 COP 2,998

104.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.71 €30.10

$41.95 COP 150.6K

-17.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.65 €1.43

$1.41 COP 5,051

17.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 €1.06

$1.90 COP 6,823

-35.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.51 €15.19

$7.75 COP 27.8K

125.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.79 €1.55

$1.01 COP 3,608

77.23%

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

$37.9K €32.8K

$17.6K COP 63.1M

115.46%

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

$29.8K €25.9K

$26.5K COP 95.1M

12.58%

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

$80.7 €70.0

$83.7 COP 300.3K

-3.61%

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

$20.42 €17.71

$9.45 COP 33.9K

116.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.28 €27.13

$24.11 COP 86.5K

29.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.68 €41.35

$25.31 COP 90.8K

88.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.97 €12.98

$19.14 COP 68.7K

-21.79%

Cinema Ticket

$9.66 €8.38

$4.10 COP 14.7K

135.61%

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

$701 €608

$312 COP 1.1M

124.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K €9,356

$5,993 COP 21.5M

80.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.55 €20.42

$58.0 COP 208.3K

-59.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.46 €27.29

$32.56 COP 116.9K

-3.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$28.76 €24.94

$99.6 COP 357.6K

-71.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.66 €35.26

$109 COP 389.6K

-62.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 €726

$482 COP 1.7M

73.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$703 €609

$379 COP 1.4M

85.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,315 €1,140

$837 COP 3.0M

57.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$992 €860

$723 COP 2.6M

37.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,809 €3,303

$2,840 COP 10.2M

34.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,309 €2,002

$1,223 COP 4.4M

88.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,477 €1,281

$541 COP 1.9M

173.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.58

13.43

-73.34%

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

Last update for El Ejido: June 7, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $837 in El Ejido and $482 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

El Ejido pays 173% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $59.0 in El Ejido vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $253 vs $190 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

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

El Ejido vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 44% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

El Ejido pays 173% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $837 in El Ejido versus $482 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $59.0 in El Ejido. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,460 per month in El Ejido versus $1,017 in Medellin – a 44% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,017 in Medellin versus $1,460 in El Ejido, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in El Ejido. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Medellin is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in El Ejido, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, El Ejido and Medellin are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in El Ejido. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.