Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Algiers

For one person, living is cheaper in Algiers: $585 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $12,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
28

Cost of Living Index in Algiers
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Algiers Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Algiers

🇩🇿 Algeria

$585

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Algiers

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Algiers actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $585 in Algiers.

Medellin $1,639
Algiers $585

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $962 in Algiers.

Medellin $2,413
Algiers $962

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $1,339 in Algiers.

Medellin $3,186
Algiers $1,339

Living in Medellin is roughly 180% more expensive than in Algiers, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Algiers is 57% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.6K

$3.31 DZD 446

144.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.9K

$27.66 DZD 3,721

70.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$4.34 DZD 584

118.89%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,540

$1.12 DZD 151

168.75%

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

$1.80 COP 5,693

$0.58 DZD 78.6

210.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,469

$0.27 DZD 35.87

422.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$2.29 DZD 308

38.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.2K

$2.28 DZD 307

152.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,778

$0.84 DZD 112

79.76%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,524

$0.14 DZD 18.25

1600.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,606

$1.16 DZD 156

52.59%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,146

$1.19 DZD 160

142.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.2K

$8.12 DZD 1,092

25.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.2K

$3.97 DZD 535

148.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.3K

$14.15 DZD 1,904

-1.13%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.6K

$2.01 DZD 270

97.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,911

$2.74 DZD 369

-43.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,907

$1.12 DZD 150

94.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,910

$0.90 DZD 121

142.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,210

$0.59 DZD 79.3

232.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,029

$0.45 DZD 60.3

253.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,625

$0.75 DZD 101

53.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,934

$0.27 DZD 36.68

359.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$3.14 DZD 422

26.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.3K

$6.87 DZD 925

99.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,252

$1.26 DZD 170

31.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,145

$1.91 DZD 257

18.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,696

$0.39 DZD 53.0

200.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 244.8K

$6.68 DZD 899

1058.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,013

$0.54 DZD 73.3

135.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,480

$0.44 DZD 58.8

365.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.1K

$5.72 DZD 770

49.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,262

$0.33 DZD 44.30

309.09%

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

$34.1K COP 107.8M

$35.1K DZD 4.7M

-2.86%

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

$34.7K COP 109.7M

$34.6K DZD 4.7M

0.21%

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

$170 COP 536.8K

$43.80 DZD 5,894

287.33%

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

$13.55 COP 42.9K

$9.85 DZD 1,325

37.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.8K

$12.48 DZD 1,679

124.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 138.3K

$24.66 DZD 3,318

77.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.4K

$27.77 DZD 3,737

-38.10%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.9K

$4.48 DZD 603

54.24%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$564 DZD 75.9K

41.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.8M

$6,274 DZD 844.1K

45.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 268.1K

$31.69 DZD 4,263

167.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 183.4K

$34.81 DZD 4,684

66.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 427.1K

$69.8 DZD 9,391

93.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 309.7K

$80.7 DZD 10.9K

21.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$163 DZD 22.0K

639.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$130 DZD 17.5K

393.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$433 DZD 58.2K

368.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$239 DZD 32.2K

322.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.2M

$2,550 DZD 343.1K

63.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$1,334 DZD 179.5K

43.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$327 DZD 44.0K

100.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

5.3

106.42%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Algiers: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Algiers

$130 22.2% 79.7% $511

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Algiers

$174 29.8% 41.4% $123

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Algiers

$66 11.3% 68.7% $145

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Algiers

$72 12.4% 57.3% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Algiers

$98 16.7% 42.2% $71

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Algiers

$11 1.9% 88.3% $83

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Algiers

$34 5.8% 41.6% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $163 in Algiers. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays about 2 times 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: $47 in Medellin vs $28 in Algiers for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $174 per month, with Algiers cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇩🇿 Algiers

🕒 Local time

23:02 11:02 PM

05:02 5:02 AM

6 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

3,415,811 Capital

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Algerian Dinar DZD د.ج

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.16 USD

10,000 COP = 2.84 EUR

1,000 DZD = 7.43 USD

1,000 DZD = 6.68 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

DZD, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,164 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,523 COP (10,000 COP = 2.84 EUR).

Algerian Dinar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 135 DZD (1,000 DZD = 7.43 USD). 1 EUR = 150 DZD (1,000 DZD = 6.68 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Between locations

Medellin Algiers 8,580 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

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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

Medellin vs Algiers: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Algiers is about 64% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Medellin is about 2 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,208 in Medellin versus $163 in Algiers. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Algiers – a meal for two runs $28 versus $47 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $1,639 per month in Medellin versus $585 in Algiers – Algiers is about 64% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $585 in Algiers versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Algiers but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Algiers the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Algiers is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Algiers gentler on the wallet – expenses run 64% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.