Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and New Cairo

For one person, living is cheaper in New Cairo: $677 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
New Cairo, Egypt
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
New Cairo
🇪🇬 Egypt
$677
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in New Cairo

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $677 in New Cairo, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • New Cairo $677

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,026 in New Cairo, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • New Cairo $1,026

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,375 in New Cairo, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • New Cairo $1,375

Medellin costs about 142% more than New Cairo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while New Cairo is 50% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
New Cairo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 26.1K
$5.44 E£304
48.71%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 151.7K
$23.75 E£1,329
98.11%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.6K
$5.48 E£307
73.36%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,722
$1.94 E£108
55.15%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,801
$0.36 E£20.21
400.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,554
$0.13 E£7.39
984.62%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 10.2K
$2.72 E£152
16.91%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.5K
$3.10 E£173
85.48%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
New Cairo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,869
$0.91 E£50.7
65.93%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,667
$0.98 E£55.0
142.86%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,712
$0.74 E£41.34
139.19%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,320
$1.34 E£75.1
115.67%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.9K
$4.04 E£226
152.23%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.8K
$4.90 E£274
101.43%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 45.1K
$8.05 E£450
73.79%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.8K
$1.61 E£90.4
146.58%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 5,005
$0.69 E£38.73
124.64%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,039
$0.50 E£27.95
336.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,041
$0.35 E£19.53
522.86%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,328
$0.33 E£18.48
493.94%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,125
$0.48 E£26.80
231.25%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,694
$0.19 E£10.71
505.26%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 4,009
$0.20 E£11.18
520.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.8K
$1.85 E£103
114.05%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 44.1K
$9.11 E£510
50.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,352
$1.26 E£70.6
31.75%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,281
$1.94 E£109
16.49%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
New Cairo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,766
$0.16 E£8.95
631.25%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 249.5K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 4,089
$0.51 E£28.34
149.02%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,603
$0.18 E£10.09
1038.89%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 27.6K
$3.62 E£203
136.19%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,343
$0.43 E£24.07
213.95%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 109.8M
$29.9K E£1.7M
13.92%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 111.8M
$24.8K E£1.4M
40.01%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
New Cairo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 547.0K
$38.48 E£2,153
340.88%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 43.7K
$9.12 E£510
48.57%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 90.5K
$13.53 E£757
107.46%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
New Cairo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 140.9K
$27.42 E£1,534
59.37%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 55.4K
$5.80 E£324
196.38%
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 22.3K
$3.11 E£174
122.19%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
New Cairo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.6M
$168 E£9,424
372.95%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 29.4M
$4,338 E£242.7K
110.04%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
New Cairo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 273.2K
$42.59 E£2,383
98.92%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 186.9K
$50.8 E£2,840
14.18%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 435.2K
$107 E£5,971
26.46%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 315.6K
$52.8 E£2,954
85.36%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
New Cairo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.9M
$289 E£16.2K
317.55%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.1M
$224 E£12.5K
186.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.5M
$504 E£28.2K
302.37%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.3M
$335 E£18.7K
202.42%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.4M
$1,115 E£62.4K
274.15%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.2M
$629 E£35.2K
203.58%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
New Cairo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
$177 E£9,900
271.37%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
11.4
-4.04%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for New Cairo: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
New Cairo
$224 65.1% $418
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
New Cairo
$138 53.7% $159
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
New Cairo
$61 71.1% $150
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
New Cairo
$105 38.1% $65
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
New Cairo
$114 32.7% $55
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
New Cairo
$2.1 * 97.8% $92
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
New Cairo
$34 41.5% $24

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $289 in New Cairo. 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 3.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $24 in New Cairo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $138 – making New Cairo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇪🇬 New Cairo
🕒 Local time
03:30 3:30 AM
10:30 10:30 AM
7 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
298,343
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

EGP, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 55.95 EGP (100 EGP = 1.79 USD). 1 EUR = 62.47 EGP (100 EGP = 1.6 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin New Cairo 11,280 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • New Cairo

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 New Cairo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is New Cairo cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 142%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,015 in New Cairo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in New Cairo, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $289 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in New Cairo?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $24 in New Cairo. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Medellin and in New Cairo?
Groceries cost about 116% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is $800 a realistic budget for living in Medellin or in New Cairo?
A $800 monthly budget goes further in New Cairo, where all-in costs run around $677, than in Medellin at $1,639. In New Cairo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Medellin or New Cairo more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward New Cairo – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with New Cairo. 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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