Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Giza

For one person, living is cheaper in Giza: $446 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $14,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Giza, Egypt
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Giza
🇪🇬 Egypt
$446
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Giza

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Giza actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $446 in Giza.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Giza $446

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $705 in Giza.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Giza $705

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $965 in Giza.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Giza $965

Living in Medellin is roughly 268% more expensive than in Giza, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Giza is 67% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Giza
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 26.1K
$3.82 E£213
111.78%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 151.9K
$13.22 E£737
255.90%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.7K
$4.34 E£242
118.89%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,735
$1.11 E£61.9
171.17%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,809
$0.32 E£18.07
462.50%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,561
$0.13 E£7.49
984.62%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 10.3K
$1.34 E£74.8
137.31%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.6K
$2.60 E£145
121.15%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Giza
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,876
$0.79 E£44.06
91.14%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,678
$0.35 E£19.25
580.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,720
$0.63 E£34.90
180.95%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,333
$1.32 E£73.8
118.94%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.9K
$2.25 E£125
352.89%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.9K
$3.48 E£194
183.62%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 45.2K
$7.44 E£415
88.04%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.8K
$1.38 E£76.7
187.68%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 5,012
$0.53 E£29.53
192.45%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,048
$0.40 E£22.56
445.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,051
$0.32 E£17.84
581.25%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,337
$0.40 E£22.45
390.00%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,132
$0.43 E£23.80
269.77%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,699
$0.25 E£13.91
360.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 4,014
$0.20 E£10.95
520.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.8K
$1.81 E£101
118.78%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 44.2K
$4.53 E£252
201.99%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,359
$0.96 E£53.3
72.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,291
$1.55 E£86.3
45.81%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Giza
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,771
$0.31 E£17.29
277.42%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 249.8K
$8.05 E£449
861.12%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 4,094
$0.26 E£14.34
388.46%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,612
$0.37 E£20.72
454.05%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 27.6K
$1.74 E£96.7
391.38%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,349
$0.40 E£22.07
237.50%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 110.0M
$29.8K E£1.7M
14.24%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 111.9M
$23.1K E£1.3M
49.78%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Giza
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 547.8K
$14.40 E£803
1078.13%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 43.8K
$6.70 E£373
102.24%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 90.6K
$23.12 E£1,288
21.41%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Giza
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 141.1K
$17.14 E£955
154.96%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 55.5K
$6.30 E£351
172.86%
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 22.3K
$3.46 E£193
99.71%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Giza
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.6M
$79.4 E£4,426
903.19%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 29.4M
$2,188 E£121.9K
316.42%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Giza
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 273.5K
$9.65 E£538
777.93%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 187.2K
$44.28 E£2,468
30.89%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 435.8K
$147 E£8,172
-7.96%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 316.0K
$51.3 E£2,856
90.97%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Giza
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.9M
$144 E£8,049
736.22%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.1M
$80.9 E£4,507
693.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.5M
$310 E£17.3K
554.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.3M
$141 E£7,868
616.69%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.5M
$541 E£30.2K
670.24%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.2M
$267 E£14.9K
616.50%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Giza
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
$136 E£7,594
382.23%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
22.5
-51.38%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Giza: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Giza
$81 87.4% $561
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Giza
$101 65.9% $196
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Giza
$44 79.1% $167
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Giza
$71 58.3% $99
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Giza
$113 32.9% $56
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Giza
$11 87.8% $82
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Giza
$24 58.2% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $144 in Giza. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays about 4.8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $13 in Giza for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $101 per month, with Giza cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇪🇬 Giza
🕒 Local time
04:20 4:20 AM
11:20 11:20 AM
7 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
2,681,863
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

EGP, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 55.73 EGP (100 EGP = 1.79 USD). 1 EUR = 62.19 EGP (100 EGP = 1.61 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Giza 11,250 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Giza

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Giza: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Giza cheaper than Medellin?
Giza is about 73% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Medellin or Giza?
Average pay in Medellin is about 4.8 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Medellin and Giza?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,208 in Medellin versus $144 in Giza. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Giza runs roughly 90% less than in Medellin. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $797 in Medellin versus $79 in Giza. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is $1,000 a realistic budget for living in Medellin or in Giza?
At $446 in Giza versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Giza but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Giza the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Medellin or in Giza?
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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Giza gentler on the wallet – expenses run 73% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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