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: $1,034 in Medellin versus $648 in El Jadida.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,577 in Medellin versus $973 in El Jadida.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,120 in Medellin versus $1,299 in El Jadida.

Living in Medellin is roughly 60% more expensive than El Jadida, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, El Jadida 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$3.75 MAD 34.69

57.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$19.81 MAD 183

65.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$6.65 MAD 61.6

8.27%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$1.58 MAD 14.63

7.59%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$0.47 MAD 4.35

134.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.35 MAD 3.20

105.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$2.87 MAD 26.50

-41.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$3.21 MAD 29.65

-3.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$0.82 MAD 7.62

29.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$0.47 MAD 4.33

165.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$1.83 MAD 16.96

-24.04%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$1.77 MAD 16.40

27.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$4.81 MAD 44.50

-9.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$3.78 MAD 34.94

54.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$8.16 MAD 75.5

8.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$1.50 MAD 13.87

49.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$1.28 MAD 11.88

-15.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$0.72 MAD 6.66

112.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$0.85 MAD 7.83

61.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$0.76 MAD 7.02

48.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$0.51 MAD 4.70

119.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$0.33 MAD 3.07

157.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$0.56 MAD 5.22

62.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$4.18 MAD 38.68

-44.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$4.31 MAD 39.87

158.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$2.45 MAD 22.63

-51.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$2.86 MAD 26.42

-17.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$0.51 MAD 4.73

54.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

$26.45 MAD 245

55.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$1.12 MAD 10.37

28.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$0.51 MAD 4.74

274.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$3.39 MAD 31.31

136.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$1.55 MAD 14.32

-39.35%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$31.8K MAD 294.4K

-43.68%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$30.0K MAD 277.5K

-10.71%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$32.16 MAD 298

161.07%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$10.90 MAD 101

-11.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$32.88 MAD 304

-26.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$27.10 MAD 251

-4.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

$17.46 MAD 161

9.05%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$6.54 MAD 60.5

-40.06%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$88.1 MAD 815

247.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$2,615 MAD 24.2K

126.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$41.05 MAD 380

41.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$40.49 MAD 375

-21.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$67.2 MAD 621

48.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$61.6 MAD 570

74.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$228 MAD 2,108

113.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$178 MAD 1,647

106.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$382 MAD 3,535

116.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$243 MAD 2,245

195.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$1,632 MAD 15.1K

79.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

$890 MAD 8,235

58.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

$490 MAD 4,537

11.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

168.60%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Last update for El Jadida: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Medellin and $228 in El Jadida. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 11% 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 $20.00 in El Jadida for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $145 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 60% 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.

Medellin pays 11% 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: $487 in Medellin versus $228 in El Jadida. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 31% 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 $20.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $648 in El Jadida versus $1,034 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 $648 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 60% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.