Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Oran

For one person, living is cheaper in Oran: $625 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Oran, Algeria
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Oran
🇩🇿 Algeria
$625
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Oran

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

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $625 in Oran, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Oran $625

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,006 in Oran, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Oran $1,006

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,386 in Oran, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Oran $1,386

Medellin costs about 162% more than Oran, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Oran is 54% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Oran
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 26.1K
$3.19 DZD 432
153.61%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 151.9K
$22.12 DZD 2,989
112.70%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.7K
$4.38 DZD 591
116.89%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,735
$1.25 DZD 169
140.80%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,809
$0.67 DZD 90.2
168.66%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,561
$0.48 DZD 64.7
193.75%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 10.3K
$1.71 DZD 231
85.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.6K
$2.93 DZD 397
96.25%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Oran
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,876
$1.02 DZD 138
48.04%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,678
$0.12 DZD 16.63
1883.33%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,720
$0.98 DZD 133
80.61%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,333
$1.57 DZD 213
84.08%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.9K
$9.83 DZD 1,329
3.66%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.9K
$5.79 DZD 783
70.47%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 45.2K
$15.94 DZD 2,154
-12.23%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.8K
$3.61 DZD 489
9.97%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 5,012
$3.01 DZD 406
-48.50%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,048
$1.34 DZD 181
62.69%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,051
$1.10 DZD 148
98.18%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,337
$0.77 DZD 104
154.55%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,132
$0.71 DZD 95.7
123.94%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,699
$0.66 DZD 88.5
74.24%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 4,014
$0.42 DZD 56.2
195.24%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.8K
$2.54 DZD 343
55.91%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 44.2K
$10.03 DZD 1,356
36.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,359
$2.18 DZD 295
-23.85%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,291
$2.54 DZD 343
-11.02%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Oran
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,771
$0.13 DZD 17.78
800.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 249.8K
$8.84 DZD 1,195
775.23%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 4,094
$0.91 DZD 123
39.56%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,612
$0.33 DZD 44.91
521.21%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 27.6K
$2.28 DZD 308
275.00%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,349
$0.33 DZD 44.90
309.09%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 110.0M
$16.1K DZD 2.2M
111.95%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 111.9M
$29.6K DZD 4.0M
17.25%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Oran
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 547.8K
$19.13 DZD 2,585
786.83%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 43.8K
$8.73 DZD 1,180
55.21%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 90.6K
$16.13 DZD 2,180
74.02%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Oran
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 141.1K
$27.67 DZD 3,739
57.93%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 55.5K
$17.51 DZD 2,367
-1.83%
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 22.3K
$4.64 DZD 627
48.92%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Oran
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.6M
$56.6 DZD 7,643
1308.72%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 29.4M
$3,171 DZD 428.5K
187.38%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Oran
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 273.5K
$33.40 DZD 4,515
153.65%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 187.2K
$54.2 DZD 7,325
6.94%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 435.8K
$79.1 DZD 10.7K
70.64%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 316.0K
$81.6 DZD 11.0K
19.89%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Oran
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.9M
$203 DZD 27.4K
495.00%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.1M
$126 DZD 17.0K
409.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.5M
$312 DZD 42.2K
549.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.3M
$198 DZD 26.8K
410.49%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.5M
$954 DZD 128.9K
337.25%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.2M
$722 DZD 97.6K
164.42%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Oran
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
$290 DZD 39.2K
126.38%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
6.5
68.31%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Oran: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Oran
$126 80.4% $516
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Oran
$222 25.2% $75
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Oran
$44 79.2% $167
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Oran
$73 57.2% $97
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Oran
$112 33.9% $57
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Oran
$12 87.2% $82
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Oran
$37 35.8% $21

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $203 in Oran. 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 2.3 times higher, 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 $47 in Medellin versus $22 in Oran. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $222 – making Oran the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇩🇿 Oran
🕒 Local time
02:02 2:02 AM
08:02 8:02 AM
6 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
609,940
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

DZD, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Algerian Dinar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 135 DZD (1,000 DZD = 7.4 USD). 1 EUR = 151 DZD (1,000 DZD = 6.63 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Oran 8,240 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Oran

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 Oran: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Oran cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 162%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $938 in Oran. 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 Oran, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $203 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Oran?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $22 in Oran. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Medellin and in Oran?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $625 in Oran. That makes Oran about 62% cheaper.
Is $800 a realistic budget for living in Medellin or in Oran?
A $800 monthly budget goes further in Oran, where all-in costs run around $625, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Oran it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Medellin or Oran more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Oran – 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 Oran. 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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