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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $448 in El Faiyum.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $731 in El Faiyum.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,014 in El Faiyum.

Living in Medellin is roughly 275% more expensive than in El Faiyum, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, El Faiyum is 67% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$2.32 E£121

245.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$13.71 E£715

249.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$4.83 E£252

104.76%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$1.18 E£61.5

165.25%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$0.31 E£15.95

516.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.11 E£5.62

1272.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$1.34 E£69.9

132.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$2.85 E£149

101.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$0.69 E£35.86

108.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$0.75 E£39.14

232.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$0.61 E£31.99

190.16%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$1.17 E£61.0

152.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$3.01 E£157

234.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$4.51 E£235

124.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$8.02 E£418

78.30%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$1.58 E£82.2

162.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$0.71 E£36.88

126.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$0.57 E£29.47

294.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$0.34 E£17.97

561.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$0.25 E£12.89

716.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$0.33 E£17.30

366.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$0.27 E£13.94

333.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.19 E£9.90

589.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$1.98 E£103

96.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$5.89 E£307

137.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.24 E£64.6

40.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$2.15 E£112

33.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.06 E£3.29

1933.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$5.87 E£306

1271.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$0.45 E£23.47

191.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$0.30 E£15.77

630.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$0.94 E£49.21

826.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$0.42 E£22.04

226.19%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$32.8K E£1.7M

-15.25%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$28.0K E£1.5M

27.80%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$13.86 E£723

1179.22%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$7.24 E£377

91.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$13.51 E£705

119.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$24.55 E£1,280

82.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$25.33 E£1,321

-32.41%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$2.37 E£123

180.59%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$25.36 E£1,323

3105.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$873 E£45.5K

952.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$31.99 E£1,668

179.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$44.88 E£2,341

31.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$126 E£6,545

10.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$44.80 E£2,336

127.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$183 E£9,546

480.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$82.8 E£4,320

700.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$327 E£17.1K

476.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$178 E£9,269

477.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$407 E£21.2K

928.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$208 E£10.8K

705.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$70.6 E£3,683

859.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

82.33%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for El Faiyum: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $183 in El Faiyum. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 860% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $14.00 in El Faiyum for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $120 per month, with El Faiyum cheaper across the board.

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 Faiyum: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

El Faiyum is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 275% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 860% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,062 in Medellin versus $183 in El Faiyum. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in El Faiyum runs roughly 1271% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $25.36 in El Faiyum. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $448 in El Faiyum versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in El Faiyum but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes El Faiyum the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Medellin and El Faiyum 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 El Faiyum gentler on the wallet – expenses run 275% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.