Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Dahab

For one person, living is cheaper in Dahab: $431 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $15,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Dahab, Egypt
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,692
/mo nomad
Dahab
🇪🇬 Egypt
$431
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Dahab

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

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $431 in Dahab, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,692
  • Dahab $431

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $718 in Dahab, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,471
  • Dahab $718

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $1,005 in Dahab, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,249
  • Dahab $1,005

Medellin costs about 293% more than Dahab, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Dahab is 68% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Dahab
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.34 COP 26.9K
$3.64 E£196
129.12%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.53 COP 150.3K
$12.50 E£673
272.24%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.47 COP 30.6K
$4.61 E£248
105.42%
Cappuccino
$3.13 COP 10.1K
$1.52 E£82.0
105.92%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 COP 5,705
$0.47 E£25.34
276.60%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.42 COP 4,601
$0.24 E£12.89
491.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.15 COP 10.2K
$1.76 E£95.0
78.98%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.70 COP 18.4K
$2.32 E£125
145.69%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Dahab
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.53 COP 4,950
$0.97 E£52.0
57.73%
White Bread (500g)
$2.29 COP 7,401
$1.05 E£56.4
118.10%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 COP 6,282
$0.66 E£35.50
193.94%
Eggs
$3.07 COP 9,905
$1.29 E£69.7
137.98%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.99 COP 32.3K
$9.74 E£524
2.57%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.45 COP 33.7K
$3.71 E£200
181.67%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.96 COP 45.1K
$9.83 E£529
42.01%
Apples (1kg)
$4.05 COP 13.1K
$2.23 E£120
81.61%
Banana (1kg)
$1.53 COP 4,937
$1.37 E£73.6
11.68%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.10 COP 6,797
$0.60 E£32.53
250.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.29 COP 7,409
$0.57 E£30.45
301.75%
Potato (1kg)
$2.11 COP 6,813
$0.56 E£30.28
276.79%
Onion (1kg)
$1.71 COP 5,521
$0.56 E£30.42
205.36%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.17 COP 3,780
$0.83 E£44.67
40.96%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 COP 5,104
$0.17 E£9.09
829.41%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.91 COP 12.6K
$1.47 E£79.3
165.99%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.04 COP 45.4K
$6.46 E£348
117.34%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.76 COP 5,690
$1.51 E£81.3
16.56%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.71 COP 8,760
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Dahab
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.18 COP 3,811
$0.15 E£8.32
686.67%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.3 COP 246.4K
$7.35 E£396
937.96%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.81 COP 5,836
$0.75 E£40.12
141.33%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.13 COP 6,878
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.13 COP 26.3K
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.28 COP 4,119
$0.40 E£21.53
220.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.4K COP 111.2M
-
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.1K COP 110.3M
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Dahab
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$178 COP 574.1K
$17.10 E£921
939.36%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.89 COP 44.9K
$6.22 E£335
123.31%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.74 COP 99.3K
$16.70 E£899
84.07%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Dahab
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.94 COP 135.5K
$14.34 E£772
192.47%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.80 COP 54.3K
$9.21 E£496
82.41%
Cinema Ticket
$7.47 COP 24.1K
$4.56 E£246
63.82%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Dahab
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$790 COP 2.6M
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.3K COP 39.7M
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Dahab
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.3 COP 278.9K
-
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$59.3 COP 191.4K
-
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$138 COP 446.9K
-
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.8 COP 319.2K
-
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Dahab
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,341 COP 4.3M
$177 E£9,536
657.25%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$667 COP 2.2M
$122 E£6,590
445.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,976 COP 6.4M
$497 E£26.8K
297.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,033 COP 3.3M
$301 E£16.2K
243.18%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,098 COP 13.2M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,940 COP 6.3M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Dahab
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$646 COP 2.1M
$124 E£6,695
419.73%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
0
-

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Dahab: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$667
Dahab
–
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$307
Dahab
–
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$222
Dahab
–
Eating Out
Medellin
$173
Dahab
–
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$172
Dahab
–
Getting Around
Medellin
$93
Dahab
–
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$57
Dahab
–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $177 in Dahab. 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 5.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $13 in Dahab. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $158 – making Dahab the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇪🇬 Dahab
🕒 Local time
20:32 8:32 PM
03:32 3:32 AM
7 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
12,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

EGP, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3,230 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,626 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 53.85 EGP (100 EGP = 1.86 USD). 1 EUR = 60.45 EGP (100 EGP = 1.65 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Dahab 11,610 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Dahab

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 Dahab: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dahab cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 293%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $646 in Dahab. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Dahab, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $177 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.
What are total monthly expenses in Medellin and in Dahab?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,692 in Medellin and $431 in Dahab. That makes Dahab about 75% cheaper.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Dahab?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $13 in Dahab. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Medellin or in Dahab?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Dahab, where all-in costs run around $431, than in Medellin at $1,692. In Dahab it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city suits remote workers better?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Dahab costs $431 versus $1,692 in Medellin. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Dahab. If higher salaries 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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