Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and El Ejido Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and El Ejido

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $1,683 in El Ejido.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $2,507 in El Ejido.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $3,332 in El Ejido.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 2% less than in El Ejido, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 19% above, El Ejido 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 25.0K

$17.63 €15.16

-54.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 149.9K

$69.3 €59.6

-30.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.3K

$11.66 €10.02

-19.21%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,120

$2.24 €1.92

31.25%

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

$1.86 COP 5,786

$2.14 €1.84

-13.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,519

$1.46 €1.26

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,969

$3.58 €3.08

-10.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.7K

$3.51 €3.02

62.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,467

$1.20 €1.03

20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,454

$1.71 €1.47

40.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,274

$1.70 €1.46

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,975

$3.38 €2.90

-14.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 31.2K

$18.22 €15.66

-44.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 31.0K

$9.81 €8.43

1.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 44.1K

$16.39 €14.09

-13.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.4K

$2.66 €2.29

49.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,921

$2.09 €1.80

-24.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,682

$1.96 €1.68

9.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,141

$2.85 €2.45

-19.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,223

$1.97 €1.70

1.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,687

$2.08 €1.79

-27.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,734

$1.27 €1.09

-5.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,981

$0.69 €0.59

85.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.9K

$6.74 €5.79

-43.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.5K

$5.97 €5.13

134.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,302

$1.21 €1.04

41.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,515

$2.25 €1.93

21.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,868

$1.66 €1.43

-24.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 241.9K

$38.56 €33.16

102.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,052

$3.25 €2.79

-59.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,739

$1.42 €1.22

52.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.8K

$17.77 €15.28

-53.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,209

$1.73 €1.49

-21.39%

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

$27.5K COP 85.3M

$36.5K €31.4K

-24.76%

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

$36.5K COP 113.4M

$29.7K €25.5K

23.00%

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

$169 COP 523.8K

$148 €127

14.17%

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

$13.57 COP 42.1K

$19.18 €16.49

-29.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.9K

$30.83 €26.51

-8.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 141.9K

$48.48 €41.68

-5.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.5K

$15.28 €13.14

12.70%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.6K

$9.53 €8.20

-30.22%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$736 €633

9.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.5M

$9,850 €8,469

-6.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 271.2K

$86.3 €74.2

1.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 184.3K

$36.75 €31.60

61.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 431.3K

$99.4 €85.4

39.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 316.8K

$107 €91.9

-4.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$929 €799

15.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$704 €605

-7.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 6.0M

$1,389 €1,194

38.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.3M

$1,057 €909

-0.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.8M

$3,868 €3,326

6.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.3M

$2,271 €1,953

-25.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

2.99

265.89%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for El Ejido: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $929 in El Ejido. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $69.0 in El Ejido. Groceries flip the comparison at $300 vs $296, with El Ejido cheaper for home cooking.

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 El Ejido: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,462 in Medellin and $2,524 in El Ejido to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,071 in Medellin versus $929 in El Ejido. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Medellin – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $69.0 in El Ejido. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,641 per month in Medellin versus $1,683 in El Ejido – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,641 in Medellin versus $1,683 in El Ejido, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in El Ejido. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Medellin is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in El Ejido, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Medellin and El Ejido are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in El Ejido. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.