Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between El Oued and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in El Oued: $524 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $14,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

El Oued, Algeria
Medellin, Colombia
El Oued
🇩🇿 Algeria
$524
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,692
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $524 in El Oued versus $1,692 in Medellin.

  • El Oued $524
  • Medellin $1,692

Estimated couple costs with rent: $859 in El Oued versus $2,471 in Medellin.

  • El Oued $859
  • Medellin $2,471

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,194 in El Oued versus $3,249 in Medellin.

  • El Oued $1,194
  • Medellin $3,249

Living in El Oued costs roughly 69% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: El Oued is 61% below, Medellin is 25% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
El Oued
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.85 DZD 386
$8.34 COP 26.9K
-65.83%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.88 DZD 2,691
$46.53 COP 150.2K
-57.27%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.23 DZD 572
$9.47 COP 30.6K
-55.33%
Cappuccino
$1.26 DZD 170
$3.13 COP 10.1K
-59.74%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.13 DZD 153
$1.77 COP 5,702
-36.16%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.51 DZD 69.6
$1.42 COP 4,599
-64.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.53 DZD 206
$3.15 COP 10.2K
-51.43%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.23 DZD 302
$5.70 COP 18.4K
-60.88%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
El Oued
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.88 DZD 120
$1.53 COP 4,948
-42.48%
White Bread (500g)
$0.16 DZD 21.62
$2.29 COP 7,397
-93.01%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.10 DZD 149
$1.94 COP 6,279
-43.30%
Eggs
$1.23 DZD 167
$3.07 COP 9,900
-59.93%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.81 DZD 1,057
$9.99 COP 32.3K
-21.82%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.91 DZD 529
$10.45 COP 33.7K
-62.58%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.23 DZD 1,927
$13.96 COP 45.1K
1.93%
Apples (1kg)
$2.02 DZD 274
$4.05 COP 13.1K
-50.12%
Banana (1kg)
$2.82 DZD 382
$1.53 COP 4,934
84.31%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.06 DZD 143
$2.10 COP 6,794
-49.52%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.91 DZD 123
$2.29 COP 7,405
-60.26%
Potato (1kg)
$0.63 DZD 84.6
$2.11 COP 6,810
-70.14%
Onion (1kg)
$0.45 DZD 61.0
$1.71 COP 5,518
-73.68%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.76 DZD 103
$1.17 COP 3,778
-35.04%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.25 DZD 34.17
$1.58 COP 5,101
-84.18%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$2.70 DZD 366
$3.91 COP 12.6K
-30.95%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.21 DZD 840
$14.04 COP 45.3K
-55.77%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.10 DZD 149
$1.76 COP 5,688
-37.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.90 DZD 257
$2.71 COP 8,756
-29.89%
🚌 Getting Around
El Oued
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.23 DZD 30.82
$1.18 COP 3,809
-80.51%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$7.02 DZD 950
$76.3 COP 246.3K
-90.80%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.57 DZD 77.7
$1.81 COP 5,833
-68.51%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.41 DZD 55.1
$2.13 COP 6,874
-80.75%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.31 DZD 719
$8.13 COP 26.3K
-34.69%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.32 DZD 43.95
$1.28 COP 4,117
-75.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$31.7K DZD 4.3M
$34.4K COP 111.2M
-7.89%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K DZD 4.7M
$34.1K COP 110.2M
1.66%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
El Oued
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$36.65 DZD 4,961
$178 COP 573.8K
-79.38%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.37 DZD 1,269
$13.89 COP 44.8K
-32.54%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$11.74 DZD 1,589
$30.74 COP 99.2K
-61.81%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
El Oued
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$22.11 DZD 2,992
$41.94 COP 135.4K
-47.28%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$16.80 COP 54.2K
-
Cinema Ticket
$4.48 DZD 606
$7.47 COP 24.1K
-40.03%
🧸 Childcare & Education
El Oued
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$336 DZD 45.4K
$790 COP 2.6M
-57.51%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.3K DZD 1.4M
$12.3K COP 39.7M
-16.27%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
El Oued
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$32.04 DZD 4,337
$86.3 COP 278.7K
-62.89%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.41 DZD 4,658
$59.3 COP 191.3K
-41.93%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$65.8 DZD 8,906
$138 COP 446.6K
-52.44%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$73.4 DZD 9,939
$98.8 COP 319.0K
-25.69%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
El Oued
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$142 DZD 19.3K
$1,341 COP 4.3M
-89.39%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$90.6 DZD 12.3K
$667 COP 2.2M
-86.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$272 DZD 36.8K
$1,976 COP 6.4M
-86.23%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$197 DZD 26.7K
$1,033 COP 3.3M
-80.92%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$970 DZD 131.3K
$4,098 COP 13.2M
-76.33%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$918 DZD 124.2K
$1,940 COP 6.3M
-52.69%
💵 Salaries & Financials
El Oued
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$259 DZD 35.1K
$646 COP 2.1M
-59.87%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.3
10.94
-51.55%

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

Last update for El Oued: November 3, 2026

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
El Oued
$172
Medellin
$307 78.9% $136
Clothing & Footwear
El Oued
$93
Medellin
$172 86.1% $80
Accommodation & Living
El Oued
$91
Medellin
$667 637% $577
Eating Out
El Oued
$69
Medellin
$173 149% $103
Monthly Utilities & Internet
El Oued
$58
Medellin
$222 285% $165
Sport & Entertainment
El Oued
$31
Medellin
$57 83.2% $26
Getting Around
El Oued
$11
Medellin
$93 787% $83

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $142 in El Oued and $1,341 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays about 2.5 times 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: $20 in El Oued vs $47 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $172 vs $307 per month, with El Oued cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇩🇿 El Oued
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
22:50 10:50 PM
16:50 4:50 PM
6 h behind El Oued
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
134,699
2,486,723
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to DZD – Algerian Dinar Converter

Algerian Dinar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 135 DZD (1,000 DZD = 7.39 USD). 1 EUR = 151 DZD (1,000 DZD = 6.61 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,610 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • El Oued Medellin 8,930 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • El Oued
  • 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 Oued vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in El Oued and in Medellin?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $524 in El Oued and $1,692 in Medellin, so El Oued is about 69% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 60% lower in El Oued. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in El Oued and in Medellin?
Rent for a central apartment: $142 in El Oued versus $1,341 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between El Oued and Medellin?
Childcare runs $336 in El Oued versus $790 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 79% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
At $524 in El Oued versus $1,692 in Medellin, a $1,200 budget is realistic in El Oued but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes El Oued the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between El Oued and Medellin?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Where should expats move: El Oued or Medellin?
Expats usually find El Oued gentler on the wallet – expenses run 69% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

El Oued vs other spots: cost of living compared

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