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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,017 in Medellin versus $612 in El Oued.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $973 in El Oued.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,188 in Medellin versus $1,334 in El Oued.

Living in Medellin is roughly 66% more expensive than El Oued, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, El Oued 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$2.97 DZD 394

100.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$19.17 DZD 2,541

73.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$4.29 DZD 569

68.53%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$1.26 DZD 168

29.37%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$0.62 DZD 82.0

75.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.25 DZD 33.17

192.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$1.92 DZD 255

-9.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$2.44 DZD 323

32.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$1.02 DZD 135

2.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$0.13 DZD 17.75

892.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$1.63 DZD 217

-19.02%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$1.85 DZD 245

22.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$8.95 DZD 1,186

-51.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$5.44 DZD 721

8.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$16.32 DZD 2,163

-47.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$3.07 DZD 407

-26.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$2.83 DZD 375

-62.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$1.78 DZD 236

-14.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$0.74 DZD 98.3

91.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$0.59 DZD 78.8

98.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$0.49 DZD 65.2

138.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$0.64 DZD 84.9

39.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$0.30 DZD 40.17

200.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$2.72 DZD 360

-17.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$6.53 DZD 865

69.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$1.34 DZD 178

-14.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$2.16 DZD 286

10.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$0.25 DZD 33.16

236.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

$17.45 DZD 2,313

140.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$0.71 DZD 94.5

98.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$0.34 DZD 44.75

458.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$5.28 DZD 699

46.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$0.33 DZD 44.38

206.06%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$31.8K DZD 4.2M

-44.68%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$33.1K DZD 4.4M

-20.03%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$40.44 DZD 5,360

106.92%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$9.54 DZD 1,264

-0.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$17.08 DZD 2,264

41.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$23.69 DZD 3,140

6.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$5.34 DZD 707

-23.22%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$92.5 DZD 12.3K

237.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$3,638 DZD 482.2K

64.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$37.43 DZD 4,961

55.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$45.65 DZD 6,050

-28.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$76.4 DZD 10.1K

30.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$77.2 DZD 10.2K

40.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$196 DZD 26.0K

145.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$117 DZD 15.5K

223.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$271 DZD 35.9K

209.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$184 DZD 24.3K

293.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

$1,141 DZD 151.2K

148.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

$1,118 DZD 148.2K

9.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

$248 DZD 32.9K

117.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

5.42

147.79%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Last update for El Oued: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Medellin and $196 in El Oued. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 118% 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 $19.00 in El Oued. Groceries flip the comparison at $190 vs $205, with Medellin cheaper for home cooking.

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 Oued: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and El Oued differ by about 66% in total monthly costs ($1,017 vs $612 including rent). El Oued is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Medellin pays 118% 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: $482 in Medellin versus $196 in El Oued. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $312 in Medellin versus $92.5 in El Oued. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 8% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $612 in El Oued versus $1,017 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in El Oued but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes El Oued the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Medellin and El Oued 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 Oued gentler on the wallet – expenses run 66% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.