Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Laayoune

For one person, living is cheaper in Laayoune: $117 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $18,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

Laayoune

🇪🇭 Western Sahara

$117

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Laayoune

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

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $117 in Laayoune, rent included.

Medellin $1,692
Laayoune $117

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $170 in Laayoune, rent included.

Medellin $2,471
Laayoune $170

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $223 in Laayoune, rent included.

Medellin $3,249
Laayoune $223

Medellin costs about 1347% more than Laayoune, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Laayoune is 91% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 27.0K

$4.09 MAD 40.12

103.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.9K

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.7K

$3.33 MAD 32.69

184.38%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.2K

$2.00 MAD 19.67

56.50%

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

$1.77 COP 5,728

$0.39 MAD 3.83

353.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,620

$0.30 MAD 2.93

373.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.5K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,971

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,431

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,308

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,945

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.4K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.9K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.3K

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,957

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,825

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,439

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,841

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,543

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,795

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,125

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.7K

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.6K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,714

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,796

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,826

$0.68 MAD 6.71

73.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 247.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,860

$0.69 MAD 6.77

162.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,906

$0.68 MAD 6.65

213.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.4K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,136

$1.35 MAD 13.22

-5.19%

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

$34.4K COP 111.7M

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

$34.1K COP 110.7M

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

$178 COP 576.4K

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

$13.89 COP 45.0K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.7K

$20.06 MAD 197

53.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 136.0K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.2K

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

$790 COP 2.6M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.9M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 280.0K

$45.77 MAD 449

88.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 192.2K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 448.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 320.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Laayoune: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

Laayoune

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

Laayoune

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

Laayoune

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

Laayoune

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

Laayoune

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

Laayoune

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

Laayoune

–

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇪🇭 Laayoune

🕒 Local time

06:04 6:04 AM

11:04 11:04 AM

5 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

196,331 Capital

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Moroccan Dirham MAD د.م.

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.08 USD

10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR

100 MAD = 10.19 USD

100 MAD = 9.09 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MAD, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,243 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,636 COP (10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR).

Moroccan Dirham exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 9.81 MAD (1 MAD = 0.102 USD). 1 EUR = 11 MAD (100 MAD = 9.09 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Laayoune 6,970 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

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Laayoune

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 Laayoune: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 1347%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $175 in Laayoune. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Laayoune, where all-in costs run around $117, than in Medellin at $1,692. In Laayoune it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $117 in Laayoune to $1,692 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.