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: $1,017 in Medellin versus $466 in Al `arish.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $729 in Al `arish.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,188 in Medellin versus $993 in Al `arish.

Living in Medellin is roughly 118% more expensive than Al `arish, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Al `arish 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$4.06 E£208

46.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$13.87 E£708

140.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$5.37 E£274

34.64%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$1.45 E£74.2

12.41%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$0.42 E£21.28

159.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.12 E£6.28

508.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$1.30 E£66.4

33.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$1.93 E£98.4

67.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$0.97 E£49.79

8.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$0.47 E£23.89

174.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$0.72 E£36.71

83.33%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$1.57 E£80.0

44.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$1.96 E£100

121.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$4.16 E£213

41.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$8.30 E£424

3.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$1.45 E£74.2

55.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$0.60 E£30.75

78.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$0.38 E£19.49

300.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$0.37 E£18.84

283.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$0.50 E£25.67

134.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$0.50 E£25.49

134.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$0.27 E£13.72

229.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$0.17 E£8.59

429.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$1.89 E£96.7

19.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$4.27 E£218

158.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$1.47 E£75.1

-22.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$1.64 E£83.9

45.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$0.16 E£8.32

425.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$0.31 E£15.87

354.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$0.23 E£11.74

726.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$1.96 E£99.9

295.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$0.33 E£17.08

206.06%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$30.8K E£1.6M

-42.84%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$36.2K E£1.9M

-26.89%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$19.68 E£1,005

325.20%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$7.27 E£371

29.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$10.63 E£543

126.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$22.07 E£1,127

14.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$6.87 E£351

-40.32%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$97.0 E£4,954

221.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$2,599 E£132.7K

130.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$16.96 E£866

242.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$62.0 E£3,166

-47.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$83.3 E£4,252

19.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$50.3 E£2,567

115.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$192 E£9,793

151.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$101 E£5,136

277.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$304 E£15.5K

175.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$178 E£9,114

305.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

$871 E£44.5K

225.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

$462 E£23.6K

164.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

23.33

-42.43%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Last update for Al `arish: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Medellin and $192 in Al `arish. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $14.00 in Al `arish for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $114 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 118% 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 $1,525 in Medellin and $698 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: $482 in Medellin versus $192 in Al `arish. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 66% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,017 per month in Medellin versus $466 in Al `arish – a 118% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $466 in Al `arish versus $1,017 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 $466 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 118% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.