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: $1,716 in Medellin versus $353 in Ismailia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,527 in Medellin versus $591 in Ismailia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,338 in Medellin versus $830 in Ismailia.

Living in Medellin is roughly 387% more expensive than in Ismailia, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Ismailia is 74% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.1K

$3.46 E£176

132.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 151.0K

$16.03 E£815

201.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.6K

$3.92 E£199

149.23%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,107

$1.09 E£55.5

166.97%

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

$1.94 COP 6,082

$0.31 E£15.96

525.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,760

$0.13 E£6.57

1069.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,676

$1.36 E£69.0

127.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 18.0K

$2.02 E£103

184.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,267

$0.89 E£45.09

52.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,470

$0.41 E£20.62

482.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,321

$0.65 E£32.78

161.54%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 8,979

$1.22 E£62.0

135.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.1K

$3.84 E£195

158.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.7K

$4.31 E£219

150.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.1K

$7.67 E£390

92.05%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$1.57 E£79.9

160.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,917

$0.54 E£27.37

190.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,651

$0.45 E£22.71

373.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,926

$0.37 E£18.66

497.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,404

$0.27 E£13.80

659.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,706

$0.33 E£16.97

354.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,723

$0.25 E£12.72

376.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,623

$0.18 E£9.23

544.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$2.03 E£103

92.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.2K

$5.80 E£295

148.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,955

$1.11 E£56.4

42.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,847

$2.02 E£103

40.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,655

$0.27 E£13.76

333.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 243.2K

$3.91 E£199

1887.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,019

$0.41 E£20.65

212.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,546

$0.45 E£22.94

364.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 27.0K

$2.01 E£102

328.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,061

$0.43 E£21.86

202.33%

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

$27.7K COP 86.5M

$29.0K E£1.5M

-4.61%

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

$35.5K COP 111.1M

$16.0K E£813.8K

121.73%

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

$176 COP 550.9K

$14.02 E£713

1155.85%

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

$13.37 COP 41.8K

$7.41 E£376

80.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 93.5K

$8.09 E£411

269.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 140.0K

$10.40 E£529

330.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.4K

$19.59 E£996

-12.91%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.4K

$2.03 E£103

205.42%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$69.5 E£3,532

1041.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.2M

$1,253 E£63.7K

619.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 267.8K

$14.00 E£711

511.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 182.9K

$9.70 E£493

502.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 426.4K

$124 E£6,309

9.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 322.6K

$29.02 E£1,475

255.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$81.0 E£4,115

1208.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$33.04 E£1,679

1956.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$127 E£6,460

1482.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

$78.0 E£3,965

1397.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.9M

$491 E£25.0K

737.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$139 E£7,052

1126.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

$107 E£5,424

523.35%

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: August 30, 2026

Last update for Ismailia: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,060 in Medellin and $81.0 in Ismailia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 523% 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: $48.00 in Medellin vs $16.00 in Ismailia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $117 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 387% 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 523% 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: $1,060 in Medellin versus $81.0 in Ismailia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $793 in Medellin versus $69.5 in Ismailia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 159% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $353 in Ismailia versus $1,716 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 $353 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 387% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.