Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cairo Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Cairo

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,681 per month in Medellin vs $632 in Cairo, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,445 per month in Medellin vs $1,024 in Cairo, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,210 per month in Medellin vs $1,416 in Cairo, rent included.

Medellin costs about 166% more than Cairo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 23% above the global median, while Cairo is 54% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$4.76 E£248

68.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$30.35 E£1,583

57.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$5.95 E£310

66.22%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$1.71 E£89.0

83.04%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$0.36 E£18.77

430.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.16 E£8.13

843.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$1.48 E£77.4

110.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$2.32 E£121

147.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$0.93 E£48.65

54.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$0.76 E£39.41

227.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$0.71 E£37.17

149.30%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$1.19 E£62.3

148.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$4.20 E£219

139.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$5.10 E£266

98.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$9.36 E£488

52.78%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$1.78 E£93.0

132.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$0.73 E£38.19

120.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$0.61 E£31.63

268.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$0.53 E£27.42

324.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$0.39 E£20.26

423.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$0.40 E£20.89

285.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$0.35 E£18.50

234.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.22 E£11.46

495.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$2.02 E£105

93.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$7.85 E£409

78.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.58 E£82.6

10.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$2.19 E£114

31.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.36 E£18.86

238.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$7.58 E£395

961.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$0.37 E£19.39

254.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$0.17 E£9.02

1188.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$1.57 E£81.9

454.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$0.45 E£23.61

204.44%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$34.1K E£1.8M

-18.42%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$29.1K E£1.5M

22.73%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$26.10 E£1,361

579.31%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$8.26 E£431

68.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$13.56 E£707

119.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$25.54 E£1,332

75.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$6.69 E£349

155.90%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$4.07 E£212

63.39%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$108 E£5,607

656.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$3,080 E£160.6K

198.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$43.86 E£2,287

104.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$46.45 E£2,422

26.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$116 E£6,068

18.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$61.6 E£3,214

65.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$222 E£11.6K

378.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$193 E£10.1K

243.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$532 E£27.8K

254.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$349 E£18.2K

194.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$784 E£40.9K

433.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$513 E£26.7K

226.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$204 E£10.6K

232.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

16.21

-32.51%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Cairo: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,062 in Medellin versus $222 in Cairo. 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 232% 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $30.00 in Cairo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $305 vs $143 – making Cairo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Cairo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 166%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,521 per month in Medellin and $947 in Cairo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 113% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin and $30.00 in Cairo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cairo, where all-in costs run around $632, than in Medellin at $1,681. In Cairo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cairo – 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 Cairo. 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.