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: $1,018 in Medellin versus $441 in El Faiyum.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,609 in Medellin versus $724 in El Faiyum.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,200 in Medellin versus $1,007 in El Faiyum.

Living in Medellin is roughly 131% more expensive than in El Faiyum, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, El Faiyum 67% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.93 COP 19.1K

$2.35 E£120

152.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.12 COP 106.4K

$13.84 E£706

139.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.12 COP 22.9K

$4.74 E£242

50.21%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 5,480

$1.20 E£61.4

42.50%

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

$1.05 COP 3,370

$0.31 E£16.02

238.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,321

$0.12 E£6.27

500.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,524

$1.21 E£61.6

42.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.2K

$2.88 E£147

10.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,422

$0.71 E£36.10

49.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,209

$0.73 E£37.39

79.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 COP 4,273

$0.66 E£33.39

101.52%

Eggs

$2.28 COP 7,328

$1.20 E£61.2

90.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.42 COP 14.2K

$2.98 E£152

48.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.92 COP 19.0K

$4.46 E£227

32.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 27.8K

$8.38 E£427

3.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 7,535

$1.49 E£76.0

57.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 COP 3,541

$0.57 E£29.27

92.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.47 COP 4,718

$0.43 E£21.92

241.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,433

$0.37 E£18.81

272.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,769

$0.40 E£20.51

192.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,760

$0.43 E£21.80

172.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,902

$0.22 E£11.17

309.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,704

$0.21 E£10.82

300.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 7,480

$2.02 E£103

15.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.92 COP 38.3K

$5.91 E£301

101.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 COP 3,688

$1.41 E£72.0

-18.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 COP 7,780

$2.19 E£112

10.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,698

$0.05 E£2.73

1580.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 131.2K

$5.81 E£296

602.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,535

$0.43 E£21.89

227.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,152

$0.31 E£15.93

516.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.83 COP 25.1K

$1.00 E£51.1

683.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,033

$0.33 E£17.00

184.85%

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

$17.8K COP 57.3M

$35.3K E£1.8M

-49.46%

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

$27.1K COP 87.0M

$32.7K E£1.7M

-17.19%

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

$83.3 COP 267.5K

$11.22 E£572

642.07%

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

$9.66 COP 31.0K

$5.59 E£285

72.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.22 COP 77.8K

$9.93 E£506

143.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.22 COP 81.1K

$25.07 E£1,278

0.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.33 COP 62.1K

$25.61 E£1,305

-24.52%

Cinema Ticket

$4.07 COP 13.1K

$2.41 E£123

68.88%

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

$307 COP 985.2K

$25.78 E£1,314

1089.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,981 COP 19.2M

$872 E£44.5K

585.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 192.6K

$27.66 E£1,410

116.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.65 COP 104.9K

$43.96 E£2,241

-25.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 324.8K

$107 E£5,464

-5.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 347.2K

$46.31 E£2,360

133.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.5M

$188 E£9,572

153.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.2M

$84.3 E£4,297

349.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$816 COP 2.6M

$335 E£17.1K

143.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$707 COP 2.3M

$181 E£9,250

289.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,190 COP 10.2M

$425 E£21.7K

650.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,446 COP 4.6M

$213 E£10.9K

578.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$622 COP 2.0M

$71.6 E£3,649

768.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

123.83%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 20, 2026

Last update for El Faiyum: July 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $188 in El Faiyum. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 768% 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: $33.00 in Medellin vs $14.00 in El Faiyum for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $192 vs $121 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 131% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 768% 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: $476 in Medellin versus $188 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 603% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $307 in Medellin versus $25.78 in El Faiyum. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $441 in El Faiyum versus $1,018 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 131% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.