Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bejaia

For one person, living is cheaper in Bejaia: $450 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $14,300 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
22

Cost of Living Index in Bejaia
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Bejaia Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Bejaia

🇩🇿 Algeria

$450

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Bejaia

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 Bejaia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $450 in Bejaia, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Bejaia $450

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $759 in Bejaia, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Bejaia $759

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,067 in Bejaia, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Bejaia $1,067

Medellin costs about 264% more than Bejaia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Bejaia is 67% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$2.26 DZD 306

257.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.9K

$13.51 DZD 1,826

248.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$4.29 DZD 580

121.45%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,735

$0.24 DZD 32.60

1154.17%

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

$1.80 COP 5,809

$0.62 DZD 83.5

190.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,561

$0.18 DZD 23.80

683.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.3K

$0.68 DZD 92.2

367.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.6K

$1.09 DZD 148

427.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,876

$0.82 DZD 111

84.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,678

$0.13 DZD 17.69

1730.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,720

$1.16 DZD 156

52.59%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,333

$1.24 DZD 168

133.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$6.21 DZD 840

64.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.9K

$3.98 DZD 537

147.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.2K

$14.18 DZD 1,917

-1.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$2.08 DZD 281

90.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,012

$1.94 DZD 262

-20.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,048

$1.12 DZD 151

94.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,051

$0.89 DZD 121

144.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,337

$0.61 DZD 82.6

221.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,132

$0.39 DZD 52.4

307.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,699

$0.79 DZD 107

45.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,014

$0.25 DZD 33.43

396.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$2.64 DZD 357

50.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.2K

$6.82 DZD 922

100.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,359

$1.29 DZD 174

28.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,291

$1.13 DZD 153

100.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,771

$0.40 DZD 53.6

192.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.8K

$17.01 DZD 2,299

354.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,094

$0.54 DZD 72.9

135.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,612

$0.43 DZD 57.8

376.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$5.54 DZD 749

54.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,349

$0.33 DZD 44.40

309.09%

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

$34.1K COP 110.0M

$35.0K DZD 4.7M

-2.65%

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

$34.7K COP 111.9M

$34.0K DZD 4.6M

1.89%

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

$170 COP 547.8K

$44.76 DZD 6,050

279.02%

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

$13.55 COP 43.8K

$9.89 DZD 1,337

37.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.6K

$12.27 DZD 1,658

128.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 141.1K

$16.23 DZD 2,193

169.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.5K

$5.55 DZD 750

209.73%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$2.97 DZD 402

132.66%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$115 DZD 15.6K

591.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$2,266 DZD 306.3K

302.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.5K

$31.82 DZD 4,301

166.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 187.2K

$34.15 DZD 4,615

69.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.8K

$56.9 DZD 7,686

137.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 316.0K

$56.1 DZD 7,586

74.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$97.4 DZD 13.2K

1139.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$54.5 DZD 7,368

1076.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$232 DZD 31.3K

774.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$186 DZD 25.2K

443.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.5M

$4,448 DZD 601.2K

-6.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$3,804 DZD 514.1K

-49.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$215 DZD 29.0K

206.27%

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 Bejaia: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Bejaia

$55 12.1% 91.5% $587

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Bejaia

$162 36% 45.4% $135

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Bejaia

$67 14.9% 68.3% $144

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Bejaia

$43 9.5% 74.9% $127

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Bejaia

$81 17.9% 52.3% $88

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Bejaia

$21 4.7% 77.3% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Bejaia

$22 4.9% 61.5% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $97 in Bejaia. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Medellin are about 3.1 times higher, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $14 in Bejaia. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $162 – making Bejaia the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇩🇿 Bejaia

🕒 Local time

00:22 12:22 AM

06:22 6:22 AM

6 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

177,988

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Algerian Dinar DZD د.ج

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

1,000 DZD = 7.4 USD

1,000 DZD = 6.63 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 November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Algerian Dinar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 135 DZD (1,000 DZD = 7.4 USD). 1 EUR = 151 DZD (1,000 DZD = 6.63 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

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Between locations

Medellin Bejaia 8,760 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Bejaia

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 Bejaia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 264% more than Bejaia, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $675 in Bejaia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bejaia, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $97 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Public transport costs about 78% less in Bejaia. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Medellin and $115 in Bejaia. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $800 monthly budget goes further in Bejaia, where all-in costs run around $450, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Bejaia it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bejaia – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Bejaia. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.