Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Guelma Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Guelma

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,034 in Medellin versus $611 in Guelma.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,577 in Medellin versus $986 in Guelma.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,120 in Medellin versus $1,361 in Guelma.

Living in Medellin is roughly 69% more expensive than Guelma, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Guelma 54% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$3.17 DZD 421

86.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$23.99 DZD 3,178

36.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$3.80 DZD 504

89.47%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$0.72 DZD 95.1

136.11%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$0.57 DZD 75.7

92.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.21 DZD 27.82

242.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$1.98 DZD 262

-15.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$2.35 DZD 312

31.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$0.98 DZD 130

8.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$0.16 DZD 20.78

681.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$1.62 DZD 215

-14.20%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$1.81 DZD 240

24.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$9.17 DZD 1,215

-52.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$5.14 DZD 682

13.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$16.73 DZD 2,217

-47.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$3.17 DZD 420

-29.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$2.82 DZD 374

-61.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$1.70 DZD 226

-10.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$0.79 DZD 104

73.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$0.58 DZD 77.0

94.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$0.50 DZD 65.7

124.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$0.65 DZD 85.6

30.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$0.28 DZD 36.90

225.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$2.71 DZD 359

-14.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$7.21 DZD 955

54.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$1.35 DZD 180

-11.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$2.07 DZD 275

14.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$0.25 DZD 33.32

216.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

$17.62 DZD 2,335

133.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$0.67 DZD 88.2

114.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$0.36 DZD 47.99

430.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$5.34 DZD 707

50.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$0.37 DZD 48.41

154.05%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$32.0K DZD 4.2M

-44.08%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$33.5K DZD 4.4M

-20.02%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$40.48 DZD 5,363

107.41%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$9.48 DZD 1,256

1.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$16.90 DZD 2,239

42.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$23.44 DZD 3,105

10.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$5.38 DZD 712

-27.14%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$92.7 DZD 12.3K

230.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$3,664 DZD 485.4K

61.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$37.07 DZD 4,912

56.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$44.82 DZD 5,938

-29.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$75.3 DZD 9,971

32.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$78.2 DZD 10.4K

37.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$196 DZD 26.0K

148.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$114 DZD 15.1K

221.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$276 DZD 36.6K

198.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$185 DZD 24.5K

287.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$544 DZD 72.1K

437.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

$392 DZD 51.9K

259.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

$323 DZD 42.8K

68.96%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Guelma: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Medellin and $196 in Guelma. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 69% 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 $24.00 in Guelma. Groceries flip the comparison at $190 vs $206, 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 Guelma: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Guelma differ by about 69% in total monthly costs ($1,034 vs $611 including rent). Guelma is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Medellin pays 69% 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 $196 in Guelma. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 9% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Guelma – a meal for two runs $24.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $611 in Guelma versus $1,034 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Guelma but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Guelma 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 Guelma 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 Guelma gentler on the wallet – expenses run 69% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.