Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Phnom Penh Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Phnom Penh

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,681 per month in Medellin vs $1,030 in Phnom Penh, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,445 per month in Medellin vs $1,675 in Phnom Penh, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,210 per month in Medellin vs $2,320 in Phnom Penh, rent included.

Medellin costs about 63% more than Phnom Penh, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Medellin sits 23% above the global median, while Phnom Penh is 25% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$3.97 ៛16.1K

102.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$39.23 ៛158.8K

22.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$6.96 ៛28.2K

42.10%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$2.98 ៛12.1K

5.03%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$1.78 ៛7,186

7.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.66 ៛2,687

128.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$1.28 ៛5,177

143.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$3.03 ៛12.2K

89.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$2.21 ៛8,965

-34.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$1.66 ៛6,720

50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$1.09 ៛4,416

62.39%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$1.76 ៛7,111

68.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$15.16 ៛61.4K

-33.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$4.18 ៛16.9K

142.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$9.30 ៛37.6K

53.76%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$4.05 ៛16.4K

2.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.77 ៛7,167

-9.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$4.16 ៛16.8K

-45.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$2.17 ៛8,779

3.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$1.62 ៛6,577

25.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$1.21 ៛4,883

27.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$1.20 ៛4,850

-2.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.72 ៛2,918

81.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$1.92 ៛7,759

103.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$11.06 ៛44.8K

26.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.01 ៛4,086

72.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$1.83 ៛7,403

56.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.47 ៛1,900

159.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$9.69 ៛39.2K

730.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$1.09 ៛4,414

20.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$0.99 ៛4,002

121.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$4.95 ៛20.0K

75.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$1.37 ៛5,529

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$34.3K ៛138.9M

-18.90%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$44.1K ៛178.5M

-18.86%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$108 ៛435.2K

64.90%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$7.47 ៛30.2K

85.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$24.77 ៛100.3K

19.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$40.99 ៛165.9K

9.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$10.73 ៛43.4K

59.55%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$5.08 ៛20.6K

30.91%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$659 ៛2.7M

23.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$10.8K ៛43.7M

-14.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$28.17 ៛114.0K

217.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$24.08 ៛97.5K

144.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$91.4 ៛370.2K

51.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$58.3 ៛236.0K

75.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$640 ៛2.6M

65.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$367 ៛1.5M

80.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$1,167 ៛4.7M

61.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$803 ៛3.3M

27.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$2,895 ៛11.7M

44.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$1,533 ៛6.2M

9.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$326 ៛1.3M

107.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

8.07

35.56%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Phnom Penh: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,062 in Medellin versus $640 in Phnom Penh. 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 108% 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 $39.00 in Phnom Penh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $305 vs $254 – making Phnom Penh 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 Phnom Penh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 63%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. 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 $1,545 in Phnom Penh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Phnom Penh, 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 $39.00 in Phnom Penh. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,681 in Medellin and $1,030 in Phnom Penh. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Phnom Penh, where all-in costs run around $1,030, than in Medellin at $1,681. In Phnom Penh it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Phnom Penh – 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 Phnom Penh. 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.