Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and New Cairo Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and New Cairo

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,681 per month in Medellin vs $727 in New Cairo, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,445 per month in Medellin vs $1,099 in New Cairo, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,210 per month in Medellin vs $1,470 in New Cairo, rent included.

Medellin costs about 131% more than New Cairo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 23% above the global median, while New Cairo is 47% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$5.85 E£305

37.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$26.40 E£1,377

81.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$5.62 E£293

75.98%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$2.07 E£108

51.21%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$0.39 E£20.36

389.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.14 E£7.30

978.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$2.30 E£120

35.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$2.85 E£149

101.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$0.92 E£47.94

56.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$1.03 E£53.9

141.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$0.73 E£38.30

142.47%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$1.48 E£77.1

100.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$4.42 E£230

127.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$5.45 E£284

85.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$8.58 E£447

66.67%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$1.81 E£94.4

128.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$0.76 E£39.40

111.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$0.50 E£26.29

350.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$0.42 E£21.85

435.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$0.33 E£17.15

518.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$0.49 E£25.38

214.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$0.21 E£10.94

457.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.22 E£11.44

495.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$1.96 E£102

98.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$9.57 E£499

46.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.38 E£71.9

26.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$2.13 E£111

34.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.28 E£14.40

335.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$0.61 E£31.68

114.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$0.24 E£12.53

812.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$3.78 E£197

130.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$0.42 E£21.66

226.19%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$33.0K E£1.7M

-15.55%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$27.0K E£1.4M

32.27%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$43.18 E£2,252

310.61%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$9.69 E£506

43.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$14.71 E£767

102.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$29.35 E£1,531

52.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$6.59 E£344

159.79%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$3.32 E£173

100.30%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$190 E£9,917

327.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$4,648 E£242.4K

97.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$47.06 E£2,454

90.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$54.2 E£2,827

8.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$118 E£6,133

17.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$59.0 E£3,074

73.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$306 E£15.9K

247.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$247 E£12.9K

168.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$545 E£28.4K

246.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$361 E£18.8K

184.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$1,225 E£63.9K

241.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$678 E£35.4K

146.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$186 E£9,702

264.28%

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: September 14, 2026

Last update for New Cairo: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,062 in Medellin versus $306 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 run about 264% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $26.00 in New Cairo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $305 vs $148 – making New Cairo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 131%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,521 per month in Medellin and $1,091 in New Cairo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in New Cairo, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin and $26.00 in New Cairo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 106% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in New Cairo, where all-in costs run around $727, than in Medellin at $1,681. In New Cairo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with New Cairo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.