Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Al `arish Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Al `arish

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $440 in Al `arish.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $690 in Al `arish.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $940 in Al `arish.

Living in Medellin is roughly 282% more expensive than in Al `arish, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Al `arish is 68% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$4.10 E£214

95.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$14.22 E£741

236.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$4.76 E£248

107.77%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$1.19 E£62.3

163.03%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$0.36 E£18.68

430.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.13 E£6.64

1061.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$1.47 E£76.9

112.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$2.84 E£148

102.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$0.87 E£45.42

65.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$0.34 E£17.99

632.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$0.63 E£33.07

180.95%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$1.39 E£72.6

112.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$2.38 E£124

323.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$3.90 E£204

159.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$8.32 E£434

71.88%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$1.57 E£81.7

163.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$0.62 E£32.38

159.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$0.40 E£20.93

462.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$0.35 E£18.29

542.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$0.47 E£24.59

334.04%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$0.50 E£25.98

208.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$0.25 E£13.13

368.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.20 E£10.19

555.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$2.06 E£108

89.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$4.79 E£250

192.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.39 E£72.4

25.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$1.68 E£87.8

70.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.21 E£10.90

480.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$0.41 E£21.41

219.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$0.37 E£19.09

491.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$1.91 E£99.7

356.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$0.43 E£22.28

218.60%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$32.8K E£1.7M

-15.09%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$27.3K E£1.4M

30.97%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$16.85 E£879

952.23%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$7.52 E£392

84.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$19.33 E£1,008

53.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$14.91 E£777

201.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$4.39 E£229

51.48%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$94.6 E£4,931

759.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$2,495 E£130.1K

268.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$16.79 E£875

433.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$59.8 E£3,117

-1.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$81.2 E£4,235

70.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$49.82 E£2,598

105.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$151 E£7,858

604.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$86.3 E£4,498

668.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$292 E£15.2K

546.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$166 E£8,678

517.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$677 E£35.3K

517.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$357 E£18.6K

368.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-45.30%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Al `arish: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $151 in Al `arish. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $14.00 in Al `arish for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $112 per month, with Al `arish 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

Medellin vs Al `arish: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al `arish wins on cost – living expenses run 282% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Al `arish the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,521 in Medellin and $659 in Al `arish to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,062 in Medellin versus $151 in Al `arish. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 171% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,681 per month in Medellin versus $440 in Al `arish – a 282% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $440 in Al `arish versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Al `arish but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Al `arish the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Al `arish delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $440 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Al `arish hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Al `arish gentler on the wallet – expenses run 282% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.