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: $1,681 in Medellin versus $563 in El Oued.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $896 in El Oued.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,228 in El Oued.

Living in Medellin is roughly 198% more expensive than in El Oued, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, El Oued is 59% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$2.94 DZD 393

172.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$20.26 DZD 2,707

136.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$4.59 DZD 614

115.47%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$1.26 DZD 169

148.41%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$1.16 DZD 155

64.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.53 DZD 70.9

184.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$1.49 DZD 199

109.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$2.12 DZD 283

171.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$0.90 DZD 120

60.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$0.13 DZD 17.24

1815.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$1.11 DZD 149

59.46%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$1.39 DZD 186

112.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$8.12 DZD 1,085

24.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$4.04 DZD 539

150.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$14.86 DZD 1,985

-3.77%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$2.07 DZD 277

100.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$2.82 DZD 376

-42.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$1.11 DZD 148

102.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$1.00 DZD 134

125.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$0.64 DZD 85.5

218.75%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$0.47 DZD 62.6

227.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$0.70 DZD 93.4

67.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.26 DZD 34.42

403.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$2.73 DZD 365

42.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$7.57 DZD 1,012

85.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.29 DZD 172

34.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$2.02 DZD 270

42.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.18 DZD 23.51

577.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$5.57 DZD 744

1344.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$0.59 DZD 78.9

122.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$0.38 DZD 50.6

476.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$4.90 DZD 655

77.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$0.37 DZD 48.98

270.27%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$36.6K DZD 4.9M

-23.98%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$34.8K DZD 4.7M

2.66%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$38.84 DZD 5,189

356.49%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$9.03 DZD 1,206

53.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$12.30 DZD 1,644

141.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$20.76 DZD 2,773

116.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$4.73 DZD 631

40.59%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$103 DZD 13.8K

688.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$3,078 DZD 411.2K

198.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$33.67 DZD 4,498

165.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$36.20 DZD 4,836

62.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$71.0 DZD 9,479

94.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$74.6 DZD 9,967

36.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$161 DZD 21.6K

557.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$109 DZD 14.5K

510.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$280 DZD 37.5K

573.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$206 DZD 27.5K

399.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$1,316 DZD 175.7K

217.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$265 DZD 35.4K

155.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

5.3

106.42%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for El Oued: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $161 in El Oued. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 156% 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 $20.00 in El Oued for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $181 per month, with El Oued 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 Oued: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and El Oued differ by about 198% in total monthly costs ($1,681 vs $563 including rent). El Oued is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 156% 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $161 in El Oued. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $103 in El Oued. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 69% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $563 in El Oued versus $1,681 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 198% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.