Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ismailia and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Ismailia: $330 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $15,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

16

Cost of Living Index in Ismailia
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Ismailia Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Ismailia

🇪🇬 Egypt

$330

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $330 in Ismailia versus $1,625 in Medellin.

Ismailia $330
Medellin $1,625

Estimated couple costs with rent: $561 in Ismailia versus $2,412 in Medellin.

Ismailia $561
Medellin $2,412

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $792 in Ismailia versus $3,199 in Medellin.

Ismailia $792
Medellin $3,199

Living in Ismailia costs roughly 80% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ismailia is 76% below, Medellin is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.30 E£176

$8.30 COP 26.3K

-60.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.58 E£778

$46.91 COP 148.7K

-68.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.76 E£201

$9.24 COP 29.3K

-59.31%

Cappuccino

$1.04 E£55.5

$3.05 COP 9,676

-65.90%

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

$0.30 E£15.91

$1.80 COP 5,707

-83.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.13 E£6.85

$1.38 COP 4,382

-90.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.32 E£70.6

$3.24 COP 10.3K

-59.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 E£96.0

$5.56 COP 17.6K

-67.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.79 E£42.30

$1.50 COP 4,760

-47.33%

White Bread (500g)

$0.36 E£19.07

$2.37 COP 7,508

-84.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.60 E£32.12

$1.70 COP 5,377

-64.71%

Eggs

$1.15 E£61.5

$2.96 COP 9,379

-61.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.49 E£186

$10.22 COP 32.4K

-65.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.98 E£213

$9.74 COP 30.9K

-59.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.95 E£371

$13.90 COP 44.1K

-50.00%

Apples (1kg)

$1.45 E£77.3

$4.13 COP 13.1K

-64.89%

Banana (1kg)

$0.54 E£29.05

$1.53 COP 4,839

-64.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.41 E£22.01

$2.22 COP 7,052

-81.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.31 E£16.79

$2.27 COP 7,194

-86.34%

Potato (1kg)

$0.26 E£13.89

$1.99 COP 6,311

-86.93%

Onion (1kg)

$0.32 E£17.12

$1.67 COP 5,285

-80.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.23 E£12.31

$1.18 COP 3,742

-80.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.20 E£10.67

$1.24 COP 3,919

-83.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.86 E£99.5

$3.87 COP 12.3K

-51.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.48 E£293

$13.78 COP 43.7K

-60.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 E£55.4

$1.66 COP 5,256

-37.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 E£101

$2.40 COP 7,615

-21.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 E£12.26

$1.24 COP 3,944

-81.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$3.77 E£201

$78.2 COP 248.0K

-95.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.39 E£20.60

$1.28 COP 4,044

-69.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.48 E£25.72

$2.15 COP 6,803

-77.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.13 E£60.2

$8.37 COP 26.5K

-86.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.42 E£22.18

$1.35 COP 4,288

-68.89%

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

$27.6K E£1.5M

$34.8K COP 110.2M

-20.49%

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

$14.6K E£780.2K

$34.7K COP 110.0M

-57.88%

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

$13.94 E£744

$167 COP 528.4K

-91.64%

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

$6.66 E£355

$13.62 COP 43.2K

-51.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.33 E£391

$29.12 COP 92.3K

-74.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$9.65 E£515

$45.09 COP 143.0K

-78.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.42 E£984

$17.18 COP 54.5K

7.22%

Cinema Ticket

$1.82 E£97.4

$6.97 COP 22.1K

-73.89%

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

$65.6 E£3,502

$790 COP 2.5M

-91.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,171 E£62.5K

$9,041 COP 28.7M

-87.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$12.92 E£690

$87.8 COP 278.4K

-85.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$9.19 E£491

$58.2 COP 184.4K

-84.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 E£6,764

$139 COP 440.7K

-8.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$27.53 E£1,470

$98.9 COP 313.5K

-72.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$78.3 E£4,181

$1,028 COP 3.3M

-92.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$31.44 E£1,679

$620 COP 2.0M

-94.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$120 E£6,414

$1,881 COP 6.0M

-93.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$75.2 E£4,017

$1,008 COP 3.2M

-92.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$458 E£24.5K

$3,988 COP 12.6M

-88.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$131 E£6,984

$1,702 COP 5.4M

-92.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$101 E£5,387

$663 COP 2.1M

-84.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

21.33

10.94

94.97%

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

Last update for Ismailia: October 19, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Ismailia

$108 32.8%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 176% $190

Clothing & Footwear

Ismailia

$79 24.1%

Medellin

$173 10.6% 118% $93

Eating Out

Ismailia

$62 18.8%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 175% $109

Accommodation & Living

Ismailia

$31 9.5%

Medellin

$619 38.1% 1870% $588

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ismailia

$28 8.5%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 650% $181

Sport & Entertainment

Ismailia

$13 4%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 344% $46

Getting Around

Ismailia

$7.5 2.3%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 1173% $88

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $78.3 in Ismailia and $1,028 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 558% 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: $15.00 in Ismailia vs $47.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $108 vs $298 per month, with Ismailia cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇬 Ismailia

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

23:17 11:17 PM

15:17 3:17 PM

8 h behind Ismailia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

352,000

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Egyptian Pound EGP £

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 EGP = 1.87 USD

100 EGP = 1.67 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to EGP – Egyptian Pound Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇬 Egyptian Pound (£)

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 53.4 EGP (100 EGP = 1.87 USD). 1 EUR = 60.03 EGP (100 EGP = 1.67 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 EGP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Ismailia Medellin 11,340 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Ismailia
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

Ismailia vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ismailia wins on cost – living expenses run 393% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ismailia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 558% lower in Medellin. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $78.3 in Ismailia versus $1,028 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $65.6 in Ismailia versus $790 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 176% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $330 in Ismailia versus $1,625 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ismailia but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Ismailia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ismailia delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $330 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ismailia hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ismailia 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 Ismailia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 393% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.