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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $435 in El Faiyum.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $732 in El Faiyum.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $1,028 in El Faiyum.

Living in Medellin is roughly 133% more expensive than El Faiyum, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, El Faiyum 68% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.3K

$2.31 E£120

159.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 116.9K

$13.75 E£712

138.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.2K

$4.70 E£243

50.85%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,093

$1.24 E£64.2

37.90%

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

$1.10 COP 3,910

$0.31 E£16.30

254.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,771

$0.10 E£5.06

680.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,976

$1.16 E£60.2

44.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 10.9K

$3.02 E£157

1.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,892

$0.72 E£37.20

51.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,492

$0.78 E£40.39

61.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,905

$0.66 E£34.02

109.09%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,799

$1.19 E£61.8

84.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$2.95 E£153

49.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.0K

$4.46 E£231

26.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.6K

$8.21 E£425

8.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,319

$1.49 E£77.3

57.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,764

$0.54 E£27.94

96.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,355

$0.43 E£22.05

248.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,906

$0.36 E£18.78

283.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,097

$0.38 E£19.59

202.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,141

$0.43 E£22.21

169.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,170

$0.24 E£12.45

270.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,986

$0.17 E£8.73

394.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,116

$2.02 E£104

12.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 37.9K

$5.66 E£293

87.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,268

$1.34 E£69.4

-10.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,793

$2.29 E£119

7.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,045

$0.06 E£2.89

1333.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.3K

$6.09 E£316

579.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,245

$0.42 E£21.95

250.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 6,984

$0.29 E£14.89

575.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.5K

$0.94 E£48.90

723.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,397

$0.33 E£17.34

187.88%

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

$18.1K COP 64.5M

$35.7K E£1.8M

-49.16%

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

$26.5K COP 94.2M

$33.0K E£1.7M

-19.73%

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

$82.3 COP 292.7K

$11.20 E£580

634.38%

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

$9.50 COP 33.8K

$5.75 E£297

65.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.2K

$9.96 E£515

143.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.1K

$25.46 E£1,318

1.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.6K

$25.58 E£1,324

-25.72%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$2.39 E£124

64.44%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$25.66 E£1,328

1105.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.2M

$879 E£45.5K

578.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 208.7K

$27.77 E£1,438

111.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.1K

$44.38 E£2,298

-27.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 365.1K

$107 E£5,552

-4.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 385.8K

$47.03 E£2,435

130.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$188 E£9,732

153.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$85.5 E£4,424

343.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$327 E£17.0K

155.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$185 E£9,574

291.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

$411 E£21.3K

578.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$201 E£10.4K

502.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$70.6 E£3,654

625.21%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for El Faiyum: May 30, 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 625% 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 $188 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 133% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Medellin pays 625% more on average, 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 580% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $25.66 in El Faiyum. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $435 in El Faiyum versus $1,013 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 133% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.