Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Imbabah

For one person, living is cheaper in Imbabah: $383 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $15,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Imbabah, Egypt
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,692
/mo nomad
Imbabah
🇪🇬 Egypt
$383
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Imbabah

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 Imbabah actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $383 in Imbabah, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,692
  • Imbabah $383

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $627 in Imbabah, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,471
  • Imbabah $627

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $872 in Imbabah, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,249
  • Imbabah $872

Medellin costs about 342% more than Imbabah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Imbabah is 72% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Imbabah
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.34 COP 26.9K
$3.98 E£220
109.55%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.53 COP 150.2K
$17.54 E£970
165.28%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.47 COP 30.6K
$4.55 E£252
108.13%
Cappuccino
$3.13 COP 10.1K
$1.19 E£65.7
163.03%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 COP 5,702
$0.30 E£16.72
490.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.42 COP 4,599
$0.10 E£5.41
1320.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.15 COP 10.2K
$1.22 E£67.7
158.20%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.70 COP 18.4K
$2.71 E£150
110.33%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Imbabah
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.53 COP 4,948
$0.55 E£30.51
178.18%
White Bread (500g)
$2.29 COP 7,397
$0.15 E£8.48
1426.67%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 COP 6,279
$0.55 E£30.63
252.73%
Eggs
$3.07 COP 9,900
$1.10 E£60.6
179.09%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.99 COP 32.3K
$1.37 E£75.7
629.20%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.45 COP 33.7K
$2.91 E£161
259.11%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.96 COP 45.1K
$6.13 E£339
127.73%
Apples (1kg)
$4.05 COP 13.1K
$1.44 E£79.8
181.25%
Banana (1kg)
$1.53 COP 4,934
$0.42 E£23.43
264.29%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.10 COP 6,794
$0.37 E£20.68
467.57%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.29 COP 7,405
$0.21 E£11.37
990.48%
Potato (1kg)
$2.11 COP 6,810
$0.23 E£12.64
817.39%
Onion (1kg)
$1.71 COP 5,518
$0.30 E£16.74
470.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.17 COP 3,778
$0.09 E£5.18
1200.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 COP 5,101
$0.19 E£10.72
731.58%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.91 COP 12.6K
$1.56 E£86.0
150.64%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.04 COP 45.3K
$1.74 E£96.2
706.90%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.76 COP 5,688
$1.17 E£64.9
50.43%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.71 COP 8,756
$1.76 E£97.3
53.98%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Imbabah
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.18 COP 3,809
$0.19 E£10.37
521.05%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.3 COP 246.3K
$13.10 E£724
482.37%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.81 COP 5,833
$0.20 E£11.05
805.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.13 COP 6,874
$0.15 E£8.48
1320.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.13 COP 26.3K
$1.11 E£61.3
632.43%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.28 COP 4,117
$0.20 E£11.04
540.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.4K COP 111.2M
$32.2K E£1.8M
7.12%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.1K COP 110.2M
$24.5K E£1.4M
39.22%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Imbabah
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$178 COP 573.8K
$12.32 E£681
1342.61%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.89 COP 44.8K
$6.54 E£362
112.39%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.74 COP 99.2K
$12.22 E£676
151.55%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Imbabah
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.94 COP 135.4K
$15.37 E£850
172.87%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.80 COP 54.2K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.47 COP 24.1K
$2.59 E£143
188.42%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Imbabah
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$790 COP 2.6M
$21.66 E£1,197
3547.65%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.3K COP 39.7M
$904 E£50.0K
1259.61%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Imbabah
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.3 COP 278.7K
$14.43 E£798
498.34%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$59.3 COP 191.3K
$17.75 E£982
233.86%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$138 COP 446.6K
$119 E£6,587
16.13%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.8 COP 319.0K
$53.2 E£2,941
85.77%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Imbabah
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,341 COP 4.3M
$127 E£7,022
955.78%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$667 COP 2.2M
$71.4 E£3,945
835.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,976 COP 6.4M
$247 E£13.6K
700.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,033 COP 3.3M
$138 E£7,603
651.21%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,098 COP 13.2M
$723 E£40.0K
466.87%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,940 COP 6.3M
$328 E£18.1K
491.15%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Imbabah
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$646 COP 2.1M
$87.5 E£4,839
638.18%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
21.33
-48.71%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Imbabah: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$667
Imbabah
$71 89.3% $596
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$307
Imbabah
$80 74% $228
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$222
Imbabah
$31 86% $191
Eating Out
Medellin
$173
Imbabah
$73 57.8% $100
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$172
Imbabah
$92 46.6% $80
Getting Around
Medellin
$93
Imbabah
$15 84.1% $79
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$57
Imbabah
$21 63.9% $36

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $127 in Imbabah. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Medellin are about 7.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $18 in Imbabah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $80 – making Imbabah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇪🇬 Imbabah
🕒 Local time
17:42 5:42 PM
00:42 12:42 AM
7 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

EGP, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,610 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 55.29 EGP (100 EGP = 1.81 USD). 1 EUR = 61.83 EGP (100 EGP = 1.62 EUR).

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

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 Imbabah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Medellin and in Imbabah compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,692 in Medellin, $383 in Imbabah – Imbabah comes out roughly 77% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Medellin compared to Imbabah?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $574 in Imbabah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Medellin and Imbabah?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Imbabah, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $127 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 285% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $18 in Imbabah. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Imbabah, where all-in costs run around $383, than in Medellin at $1,692. In Imbabah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Medellin or Imbabah?
Families tend to lean toward Imbabah – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How do I decide between Medellin and Imbabah?
If budget matters most, go with Imbabah. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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