Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between El Gouna and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in El Gouna: $457 a month against $1,589 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $13,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

El Gouna
🇪🇬 Egypt
$457
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,589
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $457 per month in El Gouna vs $1,589 in Medellin, rent included.

  • El Gouna $457
  • Medellin $1,589

A couple spends around $730 per month in El Gouna vs $2,364 in Medellin, rent included.

  • El Gouna $730
  • Medellin $2,364

A family of three spends $1,002 per month in El Gouna vs $3,139 in Medellin, rent included.

  • El Gouna $1,002
  • Medellin $3,139

El Gouna is about 71% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

El Gouna sits 66% below the global median, while Medellin is 19% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
El Gouna
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.59 E£189
$8.01 COP 25.6K
-55.18%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$15.95 E£839
$46.55 COP 148.7K
-65.74%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.64 E£244
$9.43 COP 30.1K
-50.80%
Cappuccino
$1.49 E£78.4
$2.91 COP 9,300
-48.80%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.29 E£15.07
$1.75 COP 5,599
-83.43%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.10 E£5.25
$1.32 COP 4,229
-92.42%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.21 E£63.6
$3.13 COP 9,993
-61.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 E£153
$5.55 COP 17.7K
-47.57%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
El Gouna
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.87 E£45.61
$1.41 COP 4,506
-38.30%
White Bread (500g)
$0.59 E£30.86
$2.44 COP 7,796
-75.82%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.71 E£37.11
$1.63 COP 5,204
-56.44%
Eggs
$1.39 E£72.9
$2.82 COP 9,012
-50.71%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$3.37 E£177
$9.69 COP 31.0K
-65.22%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.23 E£222
$9.32 COP 29.8K
-54.61%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$8.53 E£448
$13.46 COP 43.0K
-36.63%
Apples (1kg)
$1.47 E£77.2
$4.00 COP 12.8K
-63.25%
Banana (1kg)
$0.57 E£30.14
$1.48 COP 4,730
-61.49%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.43 E£22.47
$2.12 COP 6,785
-79.72%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.40 E£20.93
$2.25 COP 7,196
-82.22%
Potato (1kg)
$0.37 E£19.56
$1.91 COP 6,107
-80.63%
Onion (1kg)
$0.41 E£21.43
$1.62 COP 5,173
-74.69%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.24 E£12.66
$1.15 COP 3,667
-79.13%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.21 E£11.23
$1.26 COP 4,031
-83.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.96 E£103
$3.82 COP 12.2K
-48.69%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.48 E£341
$13.11 COP 41.9K
-50.57%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.26 E£66.1
$1.60 COP 5,096
-21.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.88 E£98.6
$2.26 COP 7,206
-16.81%
🚌 Getting Around
El Gouna
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.17 E£8.98
$1.17 COP 3,740
-85.47%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$75.0 COP 239.6K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.39 E£20.46
$1.27 COP 4,066
-69.29%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.29 E£15.24
$2.05 COP 6,548
-85.85%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$2.00 E£105
$8.20 COP 26.2K
-75.61%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.33 E£17.57
$1.27 COP 4,056
-74.02%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.9K E£1.9M
$26.8K COP 85.5M
33.92%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$32.7K E£1.7M
$34.4K COP 109.9M
-5.09%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
El Gouna
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$11.82 E£622
$162 COP 518.2K
-92.71%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.88 E£362
$13.12 COP 41.9K
-47.56%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$11.01 E£579
$28.09 COP 89.7K
-60.80%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
El Gouna
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$20.42 E£1,074
$44.33 COP 141.6K
-53.94%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$16.33 COP 52.2K
-
Cinema Ticket
$2.98 E£157
$6.09 COP 19.4K
-51.07%
🧸 Childcare & Education
El Gouna
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$89.3 E£4,695
$764 COP 2.4M
-88.32%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$1,820 E£95.7K
$8,904 COP 28.4M
-79.56%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
El Gouna
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$27.68 E£1,456
$85.0 COP 271.4K
-67.42%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.99 E£2,367
$57.5 COP 183.6K
-21.74%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$109 E£5,707
$132 COP 420.9K
-17.65%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$49.98 E£2,629
$95.8 COP 305.9K
-47.80%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
El Gouna
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$190 E£9,998
$1,028 COP 3.3M
-81.51%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$100 E£5,286
$604 COP 1.9M
-83.38%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$271 E£14.3K
$1,802 COP 5.8M
-84.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$153 E£8,056
$993 COP 3.2M
-84.57%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$795 E£41.8K
$3,921 COP 12.5M
-79.72%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$488 E£25.6K
$1,639 COP 5.2M
-70.25%
💵 Salaries & Financials
El Gouna
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$626 COP 2.0M
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
16.67
10.94
52.38%

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

Last update for El Gouna: October 4, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
El Gouna
$123
Medellin
$288 135% $166
Clothing & Footwear
El Gouna
$104
Medellin
$166 60% $62
Accommodation & Living
El Gouna
$100
Medellin
$604 502% $504
Eating Out
El Gouna
$74
Medellin
$166 125% $92
Monthly Utilities & Internet
El Gouna
$30
Medellin
$203 585% $174
Sport & Entertainment
El Gouna
$26
Medellin
$57 114% $30
Getting Around
El Gouna
$2.5 *
Medellin
$91 3520% $89

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $190 in El Gouna versus $1,028 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 $16.00 in El Gouna versus $47.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $123 vs $288 – making El Gouna the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇪🇬 El Gouna
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
07:43 7:43 AM
23:43 11:43 PM
8 h behind El Gouna
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
15,000
2,486,723
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to EGP – Egyptian Pound Converter

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 52.6 EGP (100 EGP = 1.9 USD). 1 EUR = 58.95 EGP (100 EGP = 1.7 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 3,194 COP (10,000 COP = 3.13 USD). 1 EUR = 3,580 COP (10,000 COP = 2.79 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • El Gouna Medellin 11,560 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • El Gouna
  • 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
El Gouna vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Medellin cheaper than El Gouna?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 247%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $686 per month in El Gouna and $2,384 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in El Gouna, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in El Gouna or in Medellin?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $16.00 in El Gouna and $47.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in El Gouna and in Medellin?
Groceries cost about 135% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in El Gouna or in Medellin?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in El Gouna, where all-in costs run around $457, than in Medellin at $1,589. In El Gouna it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is El Gouna or Medellin more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward El Gouna – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, El Gouna or Medellin?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with El Gouna. 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.

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