Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ismailia Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ismailia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,031 in Medellin versus $348 in Ismailia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $598 in Ismailia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $847 in Ismailia.

Living in Medellin is roughly 196% more expensive than in Ismailia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Ismailia 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$3.50 E£179

76.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$15.57 E£795

109.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$4.49 E£229

63.47%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,599

$1.01 E£51.6

70.30%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$0.29 E£14.81

262.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$0.09 E£4.83

755.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,487

$1.20 E£61.5

40.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$1.99 E£102

59.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$0.82 E£41.71

28.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$0.39 E£19.89

233.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$0.61 E£31.35

129.51%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,046

$1.40 E£71.6

54.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$3.00 E£153

46.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$3.61 E£184

62.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$8.14 E£415

6.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,425

$1.43 E£73.0

59.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,603

$0.58 E£29.74

91.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,982

$0.39 E£19.80

292.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$0.29 E£14.68

365.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$0.38 E£19.36

197.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$0.39 E£19.88

189.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$0.21 E£10.78

304.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$0.17 E£8.84

435.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,629

$1.64 E£83.7

42.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$6.01 E£307

105.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$1.02 E£51.9

17.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$2.02 E£103

23.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,727

$0.27 E£13.81

211.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

$4.01 E£205

911.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$0.31 E£15.63

358.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$0.43 E£21.92

346.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$2.02 E£103

279.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$0.33 E£17.03

200.00%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$30.0K E£1.5M

-39.88%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$16.0K E£815.9K

66.60%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$11.32 E£578

613.87%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$5.73 E£292

73.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$7.68 E£392

214.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.6K

$12.00 E£613

109.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$19.86 E£1,014

-3.58%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$2.01 E£103

98.01%

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

$305 COP 993.4K

$89.2 E£4,553

242.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$1,243 E£63.5K

387.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$12.72 E£649

357.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$9.69 E£495

232.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$107 E£5,451

-5.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$50.6 E£2,581

113.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$89.2 E£4,553

434.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$40.26 E£2,055

834.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$146 E£7,430

480.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$87.8 E£4,480

732.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$505 E£25.8K

536.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$138 E£7,034

895.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

$109 E£5,567

465.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

-21.00%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Last update for Ismailia: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $89.2 in Ismailia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 466% 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 $16.00 in Ismailia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $111 per month, with Ismailia 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 Ismailia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ismailia wins on cost – living expenses run 196% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ismailia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 466% 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: $477 in Medellin versus $89.2 in Ismailia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Medellin versus $89.2 in Ismailia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 74% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $348 in Ismailia versus $1,031 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ismailia but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Ismailia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ismailia delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $348 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ismailia hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Ismailia 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 Ismailia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 196% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.