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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,034 per month in Medellin vs $457 in El Gouna, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,577 per month in Medellin vs $721 in El Gouna, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,120 per month in Medellin vs $985 in El Gouna, rent included.

Medellin costs about 126% more than El Gouna, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Medellin and El Gouna are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 23% lower, El Gouna 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$3.55 E£188

66.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$15.89 E£842

106.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$4.48 E£238

60.71%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$1.48 E£78.3

14.86%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$0.29 E£15.28

279.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.12 E£6.52

500.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$1.21 E£64.2

38.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$2.98 E£158

4.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$0.87 E£46.38

21.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$0.59 E£31.08

111.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$0.65 E£34.54

113.85%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$1.44 E£76.4

56.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$3.27 E£173

32.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$4.36 E£231

33.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$8.64 E£458

2.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$1.48 E£78.2

51.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$0.58 E£30.77

86.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$0.39 E£20.94

292.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$0.40 E£21.12

242.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$0.38 E£19.96

197.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$0.41 E£21.64

173.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$0.24 E£12.76

254.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$0.20 E£10.41

355.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$1.88 E£99.8

23.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$6.18 E£327

80.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$1.25 E£66.4

-4.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$1.85 E£98.0

28.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$0.19 E£10.07

315.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$0.39 E£20.48

269.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$0.31 E£16.65

516.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$1.93 E£102

315.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$0.31 E£16.28

203.23%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$34.9K E£1.8M

-48.64%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$32.7K E£1.7M

-18.11%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$11.93 E£632

603.77%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$6.84 E£363

40.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$11.38 E£603

112.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$20.31 E£1,077

27.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$2.93 E£156

33.79%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$88.4 E£4,688

246.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$1,863 E£98.7K

217.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$27.51 E£1,458

110.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$43.51 E£2,306

-26.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$107 E£5,664

-6.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$51.3 E£2,718

108.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$192 E£10.2K

153.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$98.3 E£5,209

274.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$277 E£14.7K

198.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$154 E£8,181

364.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$765 E£40.5K

282.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

$501 E£26.5K

180.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

16.67

-19.44%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Last update for El Gouna: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $487 in Medellin versus $192 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 $33.00 in Medellin versus $16.00 in El Gouna. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $190 vs $123 – making El Gouna the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 126%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,550 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 $33.00 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 55% 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 $1,034. 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.