Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and El Gouna

For one person, living is cheaper in El Gouna: $457 a month against $1,589 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $13,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

77

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
22

Cost of Living Index in El Gouna
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El Gouna Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,589

/mo nomad

El Gouna

🇪🇬 Egypt

$457

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in El Gouna

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

A single person spends $1,589 per month in Medellin vs $457 in El Gouna, rent included.

Medellin $1,589
El Gouna $457

A couple spends around $2,364 per month in Medellin vs $730 in El Gouna, rent included.

Medellin $2,364
El Gouna $730

A family of three spends $3,139 per month in Medellin vs $1,002 in El Gouna, rent included.

Medellin $3,139
El Gouna $1,002

Medellin costs about 247% more than El Gouna, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while El Gouna is 66% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.01 COP 25.5K

$3.59 E£189

123.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.55 COP 148.4K

$15.95 E£838

191.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 COP 30.1K

$4.64 E£243

103.23%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,280

$1.49 E£78.3

95.30%

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

$1.75 COP 5,586

$0.29 E£15.05

503.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 COP 4,220

$0.10 E£5.24

1220.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.13 COP 9,972

$1.21 E£63.5

158.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.55 COP 17.7K

$2.91 E£153

90.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 COP 4,496

$0.87 E£45.55

62.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 COP 7,779

$0.59 E£30.82

313.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.63 COP 5,192

$0.71 E£37.06

129.58%

Eggs

$2.82 COP 8,993

$1.39 E£72.8

102.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 COP 30.9K

$3.37 E£177

187.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 COP 29.7K

$4.23 E£222

120.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.46 COP 42.9K

$8.53 E£448

57.80%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 COP 12.8K

$1.47 E£77.1

172.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 COP 4,720

$0.57 E£30.10

159.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.12 COP 6,770

$0.43 E£22.44

393.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,180

$0.40 E£20.90

462.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.91 COP 6,093

$0.37 E£19.54

416.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 COP 5,162

$0.41 E£21.40

295.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,659

$0.24 E£12.64

379.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 COP 4,022

$0.21 E£11.22

500.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.82 COP 12.2K

$1.96 E£103

94.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.11 COP 41.8K

$6.48 E£340

102.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 5,084

$1.26 E£66.0

26.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,190

$1.88 E£98.5

20.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,732

$0.17 E£8.97

588.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.0 COP 239.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,057

$0.39 E£20.43

225.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,533

$0.29 E£15.22

606.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.20 COP 26.1K

$2.00 E£105

310.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 COP 4,047

$0.33 E£17.55

284.85%

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

$26.8K COP 85.3M

$35.9K E£1.9M

-25.33%

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

$34.4K COP 109.7M

$32.7K E£1.7M

5.37%

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

$162 COP 517.0K

$11.82 E£621

1272.34%

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

$13.12 COP 41.8K

$6.88 E£362

90.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.09 COP 89.5K

$11.01 E£578

155.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.33 COP 141.3K

$20.42 E£1,072

117.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 COP 52.1K

Cinema Ticket

$6.09 COP 19.4K

$2.98 E£157

104.36%

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

$764 COP 2.4M

$89.3 E£4,689

756.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,904 COP 28.4M

$1,820 E£95.6K

389.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.0 COP 270.8K

$27.68 E£1,454

206.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.5 COP 183.2K

$44.99 E£2,364

27.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$132 COP 420.0K

$109 E£5,699

21.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 COP 305.2K

$49.98 E£2,625

91.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

$190 E£9,985

440.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$604 COP 1.9M

$100 E£5,279

501.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,802 COP 5.7M

$271 E£14.3K

563.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$993 COP 3.2M

$153 E£8,046

548.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,921 COP 12.5M

$795 E£41.8K

393.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,639 COP 5.2M

$488 E£25.6K

236.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$626 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

16.67

-34.37%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 6, 2026

Last update for El Gouna: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$604 38.3%

El Gouna

$100 21.9% 83.4% $504

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$288 18.3%

El Gouna

$123 26.7% 57.5% $166

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$203 12.9%

El Gouna

$30 6.5% 85.4% $174

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$166 10.6%

El Gouna

$104 22.6% 37.5% $62

Eating Out

Medellin

$166 10.6%

El Gouna

$74 16.1% 55.5% $92

Getting Around

Medellin

$91 5.8%

El Gouna

$2.5 * 0.6% 97.2% $89

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.6%

El Gouna

$26 5.7% 53.3% $30

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,028 in Medellin versus $190 in El Gouna. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin versus $16.00 in El Gouna. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $288 vs $123 – making El Gouna the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇪🇬 El Gouna

🕒 Local time

00:44 12:44 AM

08:44 8:44 AM

8 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

15,000

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Egyptian Pound EGP £

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR

100 EGP = 1.9 USD

100 EGP = 1.7 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

EGP, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 3,187 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,572 COP (10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR).

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 52.53 EGP (100 EGP = 1.9 USD). 1 EUR = 58.87 EGP (100 EGP = 1.7 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin El Gouna 11,560 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
El Gouna

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 El Gouna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 247%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,384 per month in Medellin and $686 in El Gouna. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in El Gouna, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin and $16.00 in El Gouna. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 135% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in El Gouna, where all-in costs run around $457, than in Medellin at $1,589. In El Gouna it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward El Gouna – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with El Gouna. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.