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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $344 in Ismailia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $582 in Ismailia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $819 in Ismailia.

Living in Medellin is roughly 194% more expensive than Ismailia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Ismailia 74% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$3.58 E£186

67.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.2K

$15.66 E£813

109.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$4.50 E£234

57.56%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,105

$0.95 E£49.38

80.00%

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

$1.10 COP 3,918

$0.27 E£13.84

307.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,776

$0.11 E£5.62

609.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,987

$1.20 E£62.3

40.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 10.9K

$1.96 E£102

56.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,899

$0.85 E£44.28

28.24%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,500

$0.41 E£21.35

207.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,914

$0.66 E£34.11

109.09%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,813

$1.40 E£72.5

56.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$3.01 E£156

46.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$3.72 E£193

51.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.7K

$7.78 E£404

14.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,334

$1.46 E£76.0

60.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,771

$0.54 E£28.01

96.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,365

$0.41 E£21.36

265.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,915

$0.29 E£14.90

375.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,104

$0.37 E£19.45

210.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,148

$0.41 E£21.39

182.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,176

$0.19 E£9.75

368.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,992

$0.17 E£8.61

394.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,131

$1.63 E£84.6

39.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 37.9K

$5.85 E£303

81.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,276

$1.02 E£53.1

17.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,809

$1.95 E£101

26.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,051

$0.25 E£12.93

244.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.6K

$4.04 E£210

924.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,255

$0.33 E£17.19

345.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 6,997

$0.45 E£23.58

335.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$1.94 E£101

298.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,403

$0.33 E£17.32

187.88%

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

$18.1K COP 64.6M

$30.1K E£1.6M

-39.76%

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

$26.5K COP 94.4M

$16.1K E£835.7K

64.49%

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

$82.3 COP 293.2K

$11.33 E£588

625.95%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$5.68 E£295

67.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.4K

$7.72 E£401

213.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.3K

$11.67 E£606

121.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.7K

$19.66 E£1,020

-3.36%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$2.01 E£104

95.52%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$86.9 E£4,509

256.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$1,214 E£63.0K

391.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.1K

$12.65 E£657

363.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.3K

$10.12 E£525

219.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 365.7K

$107 E£5,537

-3.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 386.5K

$49.96 E£2,593

117.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$89.7 E£4,653

431.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$39.40 E£2,045

861.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$142 E£7,384

489.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$88.5 E£4,591

718.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

$485 E£25.2K

475.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$133 E£6,897

811.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$107 E£5,570

376.92%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Ismailia: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $89.7 in Ismailia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 377% 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 $188 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 194% 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.

Medellin pays 377% 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: $476 in Medellin versus $89.7 in Ismailia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $86.9 in Ismailia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 70% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $344 in Ismailia versus $1,013 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 $344 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 194% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.