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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $651 in El Jadida.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $967 in El Jadida.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $1,282 in El Jadida.

Living in Medellin is roughly 152% more expensive than in El Jadida, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, El Jadida is 53% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$2.87 MAD 27.01

180.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$21.20 MAD 199

127.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$6.21 MAD 58.4

51.69%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$1.59 MAD 14.96

84.91%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$0.47 MAD 4.43

295.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.29 MAD 2.68

403.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$2.79 MAD 26.24

15.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$2.63 MAD 24.67

117.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$0.96 MAD 9.01

50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$0.42 MAD 3.92

471.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$1.97 MAD 18.53

-13.71%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$1.94 MAD 18.19

48.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$6.56 MAD 61.6

53.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$4.20 MAD 39.49

137.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$8.20 MAD 77.0

73.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$1.59 MAD 14.94

150.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.47 MAD 13.84

7.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$0.72 MAD 6.74

198.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$0.67 MAD 6.32

243.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$0.69 MAD 6.46

189.86%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$0.48 MAD 4.48

214.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$0.33 MAD 3.14

263.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.54 MAD 5.07

137.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$3.98 MAD 37.44

-3.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$4.15 MAD 38.99

237.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$2.61 MAD 24.52

-34.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$3.02 MAD 28.42

-9.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$0.47 MAD 4.38

165.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$17.20 MAD 162

352.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$1.08 MAD 10.17

21.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$1.09 MAD 10.25

99.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$5.46 MAD 51.3

51.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$1.56 MAD 14.65

-12.82%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$34.9K MAD 327.8K

-21.24%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$31.2K MAD 293.1K

17.15%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$29.29 MAD 275

476.03%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$10.52 MAD 98.9

28.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$32.46 MAD 305

-12.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$29.84 MAD 280

53.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$12.61 MAD 118

36.56%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$6.58 MAD 61.8

1.06%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$116 MAD 1,086

594.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$3,239 MAD 30.4K

183.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$28.85 MAD 271

202.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$37.71 MAD 354

57.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$66.7 MAD 627

108.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$74.0 MAD 695

37.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$211 MAD 1,987

406.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$173 MAD 1,624

277.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$369 MAD 3,465

421.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$237 MAD 2,227

342.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$1,570 MAD 14.8K

162.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$818 MAD 7,688

107.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$482 MAD 4,530

35.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

5.5

98.91%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for El Jadida: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $211 in El Jadida. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 36% 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 $21.00 in El Jadida for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $156 per month, with El Jadida 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 Jadida: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

El Jadida wins on cost – living expenses run 152% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making El Jadida the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 36% 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: $1,071 in Medellin versus $211 in El Jadida. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 93% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in El Jadida – a meal for two runs $21.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $651 in El Jadida versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in El Jadida but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes El Jadida the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but El Jadida delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $651 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes El Jadida hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and El Jadida 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 Jadida gentler on the wallet – expenses run 152% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.