Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Essaouira and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Essaouira: $781 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

38

Cost of Living Index in Essaouira
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Essaouira Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Essaouira

🇲🇦 Morocco

$781

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $781 per month in Essaouira vs $1,625 in Medellin, rent included.

Essaouira $781
Medellin $1,625

A couple spends around $1,172 per month in Essaouira vs $2,412 in Medellin, rent included.

Essaouira $1,172
Medellin $2,412

A family of three spends $1,563 per month in Essaouira vs $3,199 in Medellin, rent included.

Essaouira $1,563
Medellin $3,199

Essaouira is about 52% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Essaouira sits 42% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.52 MAD 44.11

$8.30 COP 26.3K

-45.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.78 MAD 183

$46.91 COP 148.7K

-59.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.36 MAD 71.8

$9.24 COP 29.3K

-20.35%

Cappuccino

$1.33 MAD 12.92

$3.05 COP 9,676

-56.39%

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

$0.46 MAD 4.49

$1.80 COP 5,707

-74.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.37 MAD 3.64

$1.38 COP 4,382

-73.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.10 MAD 49.73

$3.24 COP 10.3K

57.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.39 MAD 42.83

$5.56 COP 17.6K

-21.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 MAD 8.87

$1.50 COP 4,760

-39.33%

White Bread (500g)

$0.52 MAD 5.08

$2.37 COP 7,508

-78.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 MAD 16.33

$1.70 COP 5,377

-1.76%

Eggs

$1.62 MAD 15.76

$2.96 COP 9,379

-45.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.12 MAD 79.1

$10.22 COP 32.4K

-20.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.92 MAD 57.8

$9.74 COP 30.9K

-39.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.67 MAD 104

$13.90 COP 44.1K

-23.24%

Apples (1kg)

$1.28 MAD 12.50

$4.13 COP 13.1K

-69.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 MAD 11.45

$1.53 COP 4,839

-23.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.66 MAD 6.45

$2.22 COP 7,052

-70.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.77 MAD 7.48

$2.27 COP 7,194

-66.08%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 MAD 5.67

$1.99 COP 6,311

-70.85%

Onion (1kg)

$0.70 MAD 6.79

$1.67 COP 5,285

-58.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 MAD 3.41

$1.18 COP 3,742

-70.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 MAD 5.72

$1.24 COP 3,919

-52.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.85 MAD 37.58

$3.87 COP 12.3K

-0.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.98 MAD 58.3

$13.78 COP 43.7K

-56.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 MAD 16.58

$1.66 COP 5,256

2.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 MAD 20.34

$2.40 COP 7,615

-12.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 MAD 8.32

$1.24 COP 3,944

-31.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.62 MAD 6.09

$1.28 COP 4,044

-51.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 MAD 6.23

$2.15 COP 6,803

-70.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 MAD 14.46

$1.35 COP 4,288

9.63%

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

$31.0K MAD 302.6K

$34.8K COP 110.2M

-10.73%

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

$32.1K MAD 313.0K

$34.7K COP 110.0M

-7.44%

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

$24.14 MAD 235

$167 COP 528.4K

-85.51%

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

$16.96 MAD 165

$13.62 COP 43.2K

24.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.95 MAD 292

$29.12 COP 92.3K

2.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$5.10 MAD 49.70

$6.97 COP 22.1K

-26.83%

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

$67.8 MAD 661

$790 COP 2.5M

-91.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,803 MAD 17.6K

$9,041 COP 28.7M

-80.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.33 MAD 286

$87.8 COP 278.4K

-66.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.93 MAD 419

$58.2 COP 184.4K

-26.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.1 MAD 576

$139 COP 440.7K

-57.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.42 MAD 394

$98.9 COP 313.5K

-59.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$386 MAD 3,760

$1,028 COP 3.3M

-62.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$334 MAD 3,259

$620 COP 2.0M

-46.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$913 MAD 8,905

$1,881 COP 6.0M

-51.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$569 MAD 5,547

$1,008 COP 3.2M

-43.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$254 MAD 2,479

$663 COP 2.1M

-61.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

10.94

-40.59%

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

Last update for Essaouira: October 18, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Essaouira

$334 42.8%

Medellin

$619 38.1% 85.3% $285

Groceries & Markets

Essaouira

$170 21.7%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 75.7% $128

Eating Out

Essaouira

$112 14.3%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 52.8% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Essaouira

$77 9.9%

Medellin

$173 10.6% 124% $95

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Essaouira

$71 9.1%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 195% $138

Sport & Entertainment

Essaouira

$10 * 1.3%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 479% $49

Getting Around

Essaouira

$7.2 * 0.9%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 1217% $88

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $386 in Essaouira 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.

Salaries run about 161% 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 $19.00 in Essaouira versus $47.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $170 vs $298 – making Essaouira the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇲🇦 Essaouira

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

09:11 9:11 AM

03:11 3:11 AM

6 h behind Essaouira

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

77,966

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Moroccan Dirham MAD د.م.

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MAD = 10.26 USD

100 MAD = 9.12 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to MAD – Moroccan Dirham Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇦 Moroccan Dirham (د.م.)

Moroccan Dirham exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 9.75 MAD (1 MAD = 0.103 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 MAD (100 MAD = 9.12 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to MAD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Essaouira Medellin 7,360 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Essaouira
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

Essaouira vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 108%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,172 per month in Essaouira and $2,437 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Essaouira, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19.00 in Essaouira and $47.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 76% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Essaouira, where all-in costs run around $781, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Essaouira it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Essaouira – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Essaouira. 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.