Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Bordj Bou Arreridj

For one person, living is cheaper in Bordj Bou Arreridj: $501 a month against $1,589 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $13,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Bordj Bou Arreridj
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Bordj Bou Arreridj Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,589

/mo nomad

Bordj Bou Arreridj

🇩🇿 Algeria

$501

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Bordj Bou Arreridj

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 Bordj Bou Arreridj actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,589 per month in Medellin vs $501 in Bordj Bou Arreridj, rent included.

Medellin $1,589
Bordj Bou Arreridj $501

A couple spends around $2,364 per month in Medellin vs $765 in Bordj Bou Arreridj, rent included.

Medellin $2,364
Bordj Bou Arreridj $765

A family of three spends $3,139 per month in Medellin vs $1,028 in Bordj Bou Arreridj, rent included.

Medellin $3,139
Bordj Bou Arreridj $1,028

Medellin costs about 217% more than Bordj Bou Arreridj, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Bordj Bou Arreridj is 63% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.01 COP 25.6K

$2.25 DZD 301

256.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 COP 148.7K

$7.57 DZD 1,014

514.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 COP 30.1K

$3.68 DZD 493

156.25%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,300

$0.44 DZD 58.4

561.36%

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

$1.75 COP 5,599

$0.61 DZD 81.2

186.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 COP 4,229

$0.29 DZD 38.89

355.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 COP 9,993

$0.74 DZD 98.6

322.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 COP 17.7K

$2.31 DZD 309

140.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 COP 4,506

$0.92 DZD 123

53.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 COP 7,796

$0.08 DZD 10.19

2950.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,204

$0.81 DZD 108

101.23%

Eggs

$2.82 COP 9,012

$1.36 DZD 182

107.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 COP 31.0K

$7.05 DZD 944

37.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 COP 29.8K

$4.01 DZD 538

132.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.46 COP 43.0K

$14.42 DZD 1,932

-6.66%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 COP 12.8K

$2.05 DZD 275

95.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,730

$2.29 DZD 307

-35.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 COP 6,785

$1.08 DZD 145

96.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,196

$1.00 DZD 134

125.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 COP 6,107

$0.63 DZD 84.7

203.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 COP 5,173

$0.50 DZD 67.0

224.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,667

$0.77 DZD 103

49.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 COP 4,031

$0.27 DZD 36.42

366.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 COP 12.2K

$2.76 DZD 370

38.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.11 COP 41.9K

$6.65 DZD 892

97.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 5,096

$1.30 DZD 174

23.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,206

$1.95 DZD 261

15.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,740

$0.22 DZD 29.45

431.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.0 COP 239.6K

$6.88 DZD 922

990.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,066

$0.55 DZD 74.1

130.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,548

$0.47 DZD 63.6

336.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.20 COP 26.2K

$5.57 DZD 746

47.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 COP 4,056

$0.36 DZD 48.34

252.78%

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

$26.8K COP 85.5M

$36.1K DZD 4.8M

-25.77%

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

$34.4K COP 109.9M

$35.4K DZD 4.8M

-2.94%

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

$162 COP 518.2K

$44.96 DZD 6,026

260.79%

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

$13.12 COP 41.9K

$7.56 DZD 1,013

73.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.09 COP 89.7K

$12.76 DZD 1,710

120.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.33 COP 141.6K

$13.57 DZD 1,819

226.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 COP 52.2K

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 COP 19.4K

$4.56 DZD 611

33.55%

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

$764 COP 2.4M

$62.1 DZD 8,325

1130.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,904 COP 28.4M

$6,471 DZD 867.2K

37.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.0 COP 271.4K

$32.39 DZD 4,340

162.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 COP 183.6K

$34.75 DZD 4,657

65.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 COP 420.9K

$35.07 DZD 4,700

275.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 COP 305.9K

$53.6 DZD 7,180

78.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$165 DZD 22.1K

523.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 COP 1.9M

$119 DZD 15.9K

409.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,802 COP 5.8M

$272 DZD 36.5K

561.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$993 COP 3.2M

$196 DZD 26.3K

405.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,921 COP 12.5M

$972 DZD 130.2K

303.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,639 COP 5.2M

$1,043 DZD 139.8K

57.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 COP 2.0M

$346 DZD 46.4K

80.98%

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 6, 2026

Last update for Bordj Bou Arreridj: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$604 38.3%

Bordj Bou Arreridj

$119 23.6% 80.4% $486

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$288 18.3%

Bordj Bou Arreridj

$169 33.7% 41.3% $119

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$203 12.9%

Bordj Bou Arreridj

$65 13% 67.9% $138

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Bordj Bou Arreridj

$70 13.9% 57.9% $96

Eating Out

Medellin

$166 10.6%

Bordj Bou Arreridj

$46 9.2% 72.3% $120

Getting Around

Medellin

$91 5.8%

Bordj Bou Arreridj

$11 2.1% 88.3% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.6%

Bordj Bou Arreridj

$23 4.5% 59.8% $34

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $165 in Bordj Bou Arreridj. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 81% higher in Medellin, 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 $47.00 in Medellin versus $8.00 in Bordj Bou Arreridj. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $169 – making Bordj Bou Arreridj the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇩🇿 Bordj Bou Arreridj

🕒 Local time

04:35 4:35 AM

10:35 10:35 AM

6 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

168,346

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Algerian Dinar DZD د.ج

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.13 USD

10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR

1,000 DZD = 7.46 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 13, 2026: 1 USD = 3,194 COP (10,000 COP = 3.13 USD). 1 EUR = 3,566 COP (10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR).

Algerian Dinar exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 134 DZD (1,000 DZD = 7.46 USD). 1 EUR = 150 DZD (1,000 DZD = 6.68 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Bordj Bou Arreridj 8,730 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Bordj Bou Arreridj

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 Bordj Bou Arreridj: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 217% more than Bordj Bou Arreridj, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,384 per month in Medellin and $752 in Bordj Bou Arreridj. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bordj Bou Arreridj, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin and $8.00 in Bordj Bou Arreridj. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,589 in Medellin and $501 in Bordj Bou Arreridj. That's a gap of about 217%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Bordj Bou Arreridj, where all-in costs run around $501, than in Medellin at $1,589. In Bordj Bou Arreridj it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bordj Bou Arreridj costs $501 versus $1,589 in Medellin. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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