Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Constantine

For one person, living is cheaper in Constantine: $614 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,625
/mo nomad
Constantine
🇩🇿 Algeria
$614
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Constantine

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

A single person spends $1,625 per month in Medellin vs $614 in Constantine, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,625
  • Constantine $614

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Medellin vs $1,010 in Constantine, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,412
  • Constantine $1,010

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Medellin vs $1,405 in Constantine, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,199
  • Constantine $1,405

Medellin costs about 165% more than Constantine, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Constantine is 55% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Constantine
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.30 COP 26.3K
$2.90 DZD 388
186.21%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.91 COP 148.7K
$22.40 DZD 2,998
109.42%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.24 COP 29.3K
$4.01 DZD 536
130.42%
Cappuccino
$3.05 COP 9,676
$0.64 DZD 86.1
376.56%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,707
$0.54 DZD 72.4
233.33%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.38 COP 4,382
$0.23 DZD 30.86
500.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.24 COP 10.3K
$6.03 DZD 807
-46.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.56 COP 17.6K
$1.89 DZD 253
194.18%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Constantine
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.50 COP 4,760
$0.99 DZD 132
51.52%
White Bread (500g)
$2.37 COP 7,508
$0.15 DZD 20.37
1480.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.70 COP 5,377
$1.82 DZD 244
-6.59%
Eggs
$2.96 COP 9,379
$1.75 DZD 235
69.14%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.22 COP 32.4K
$14.19 DZD 1,900
-27.98%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.74 COP 30.9K
$4.20 DZD 562
131.90%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.90 COP 44.1K
$15.30 DZD 2,048
-9.15%
Apples (1kg)
$4.13 COP 13.1K
$3.20 DZD 429
29.06%
Banana (1kg)
$1.53 COP 4,839
$3.27 DZD 438
-53.21%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.22 COP 7,052
$1.42 DZD 190
56.34%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.27 COP 7,194
$0.90 DZD 120
152.22%
Potato (1kg)
$1.99 COP 6,311
$0.64 DZD 86.0
210.94%
Onion (1kg)
$1.67 COP 5,285
$0.68 DZD 90.7
145.59%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.18 COP 3,742
$0.68 DZD 91.4
73.53%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 3,919
$0.33 DZD 43.51
275.76%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.87 COP 12.3K
$3.35 DZD 449
15.52%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.78 COP 43.7K
$3.28 DZD 440
320.12%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,256
$0.55 DZD 73.6
201.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.40 COP 7,615
$1.09 DZD 146
120.18%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Constantine
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.24 COP 3,944
$0.36 DZD 47.71
244.44%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$78.2 COP 248.0K
$6.67 DZD 894
1072.56%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.28 COP 4,044
$1.13 DZD 152
13.27%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.15 COP 6,803
$0.18 DZD 23.70
1094.44%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.37 COP 26.5K
$3.91 DZD 524
114.07%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,288
$0.34 DZD 45.86
297.06%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.8K COP 110.2M
$35.9K DZD 4.8M
-3.12%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 110.0M
$36.6K DZD 4.9M
-5.24%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Constantine
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$167 COP 528.4K
$38.18 DZD 5,111
336.49%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.62 COP 43.2K
$8.68 DZD 1,163
56.91%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$29.12 COP 92.3K
$16.95 DZD 2,269
71.80%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Constantine
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.09 COP 143.0K
$37.73 DZD 5,052
19.51%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.18 COP 54.5K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.97 COP 22.1K
$4.42 DZD 592
57.69%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Constantine
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$790 COP 2.5M
$81.8 DZD 11.0K
865.84%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,041 COP 28.7M
$2,670 DZD 357.5K
238.58%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Constantine
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$87.8 COP 278.4K
$53.9 DZD 7,210
63.05%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.2 COP 184.4K
$39.11 DZD 5,236
48.68%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$139 COP 440.7K
$78.8 DZD 10.6K
76.29%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.9 COP 313.5K
$90.0 DZD 12.0K
9.87%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Constantine
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,028 COP 3.3M
$144 DZD 19.2K
615.77%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$620 COP 2.0M
$93.4 DZD 12.5K
563.35%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,881 COP 6.0M
$271 DZD 36.3K
593.24%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,008 COP 3.2M
$205 DZD 27.5K
391.14%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,988 COP 12.6M
$924 DZD 123.7K
331.54%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,702 COP 5.4M
$603 DZD 80.7K
182.41%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Constantine
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$663 COP 2.1M
$380 DZD 50.9K
74.60%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
4.5
143.11%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Constantine: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$619
Constantine
$93 84.9% $526
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$298
Constantine
$202 32.1% $96
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$209
Constantine
$64 69.5% $146
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$173
Constantine
$118 31.8% $55
Eating Out
Medellin
$171
Constantine
$80 53.2% $91
Getting Around
Medellin
$95
Constantine
$10 89.4% $85
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$59
Constantine
$47 21.1% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $144 in Constantine. 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 75% 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 $22.00 in Constantine. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $298 vs $202 – making Constantine the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇩🇿 Constantine
🕒 Local time
07:29 7:29 AM
13:29 1:29 PM
6 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
448,374
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

DZD, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Algerian Dinar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 134 DZD (1,000 DZD = 7.47 USD). 1 EUR = 151 DZD (1,000 DZD = 6.64 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Constantine 8,900 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Constantine

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 Constantine: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Medellin or Constantine?
Medellin costs about 165% more than Constantine, 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.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Medellin and in Constantine?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,437 per month in Medellin and $921 in Constantine. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Medellin or Constantine?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Constantine, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Medellin compared to Constantine?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,625 in Medellin and $614 in Constantine. That's a gap of about 165%.
How expensive is transport in Medellin compared to Constantine?
Public transport costs about 1073% less in Constantine. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Medellin or in Constantine?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Constantine, where all-in costs run around $614, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Constantine it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Medellin or Constantine?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Constantine costs $614 versus $1,625 in Medellin. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Medellin compared to Constantine?
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.
Should I move to Medellin or to Constantine?
If budget matters most, go with Constantine. 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.

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