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: $1,030 in Medellin versus $462 in Al `arish.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,586 in Medellin versus $728 in Al `arish.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $993 in Al `arish.

Living in Medellin is roughly 123% more expensive than Al `arish, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Al `arish 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.1K

$3.87 E£204

52.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.17 COP 118.3K

$14.03 E£738

136.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.25 COP 25.9K

$5.48 E£288

32.30%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,118

$1.41 E£74.0

21.28%

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

$1.09 COP 3,903

$0.41 E£21.62

165.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,734

$0.15 E£7.82

413.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 COP 6,234

$1.27 E£66.6

37.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 11.4K

$1.94 E£102

63.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,780

$0.93 E£48.84

13.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,643

$0.47 E£24.59

176.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,911

$0.71 E£37.09

94.37%

Eggs

$2.21 COP 7,883

$1.49 E£78.3

48.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.52 COP 16.1K

$1.98 E£104

128.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 COP 20.7K

$4.09 E£215

41.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 32.0K

$8.27 E£435

8.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 COP 8,157

$1.46 E£76.6

56.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,779

$0.60 E£31.43

76.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 COP 5,394

$0.38 E£20.11

297.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,854

$0.40 E£20.85

240.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,133

$0.50 E£26.37

132.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,161

$0.53 E£27.71

120.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 COP 2,951

$0.29 E£15.45

186.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 COP 3,034

$0.15 E£8.09

466.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.35 COP 8,397

$1.97 E£104

19.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.09 COP 39.6K

$4.29 E£226

158.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 COP 4,120

$1.45 E£76.0

-20.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,826

$1.65 E£87.0

49.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,818

$0.17 E£9.01

364.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.85 COP 149.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,124

$0.31 E£16.46

364.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,772

$0.23 E£12.03

726.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.70 COP 27.5K

$1.93 E£101

298.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 COP 3,669

$0.33 E£17.36

212.12%

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

$17.7K COP 63.1M

$30.1K E£1.6M

-41.19%

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

$27.0K COP 96.4M

$35.9K E£1.9M

-24.71%

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

$81.4 COP 290.5K

$19.29 E£1,015

322.08%

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

$9.42 COP 33.6K

$7.42 E£390

26.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.77 COP 84.8K

$10.77 E£567

120.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.86 COP 92.3K

$21.96 E£1,155

17.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.34 COP 69.0K

Cinema Ticket

$4.05 COP 14.5K

$6.75 E£355

-40.00%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$97.2 E£5,114

221.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,067 COP 21.6M

$2,652 E£139.5K

128.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 COP 210.0K

$17.46 E£918

237.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.82 COP 117.1K

$62.3 E£3,279

-47.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 COP 358.5K

$83.5 E£4,392

20.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 COP 379.2K

$51.8 E£2,725

105.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 COP 1.7M

$191 E£10.1K

155.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 COP 1.3M

$99.0 E£5,209

274.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$309 E£16.3K

171.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 COP 2.6M

$178 E£9,340

302.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,952 COP 10.5M

$748 E£39.4K

294.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,394 COP 5.0M

$397 E£20.9K

250.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$532 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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Al `arish: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Medellin and $191 in Al `arish. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33 in Medellin vs $14 in Al `arish for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $113 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 123% 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 $1,544 in Medellin and $694 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: $490 in Medellin versus $191 in Al `arish. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 68% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,030 per month in Medellin versus $462 in Al `arish – a 123% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $462 in Al `arish versus $1,030 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 $462 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 123% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.