Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Qalyub Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Qalyub

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,716 per month in Medellin vs $469 in Qalyub, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,527 per month in Medellin vs $749 in Qalyub, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,338 per month in Medellin vs $1,028 in Qalyub, rent included.

Medellin costs about 266% more than Qalyub, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Qalyub is 66% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.0K

$4.29 E£218

87.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 150.6K

$16.77 E£853

187.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.5K

$4.78 E£243

104.39%

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,085

$1.36 E£69.4

113.97%

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

$1.94 COP 6,067

$0.32 E£16.25

506.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,749

$0.14 E£6.88

985.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,653

$1.34 E£68.3

130.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 17.9K

$2.30 E£117

149.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,257

$0.91 E£46.11

49.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,452

$0.71 E£36.32

236.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,308

$0.66 E£33.53

157.58%

Eggs

$2.87 COP 8,957

$1.21 E£61.6

137.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.0K

$3.77 E£192

163.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.7K

$4.48 E£228

140.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.0K

$9.64 E£491

52.80%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$1.63 E£83.0

150.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,906

$0.73 E£37.25

115.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,635

$0.58 E£29.70

267.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,910

$0.35 E£17.89

531.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,389

$0.25 E£12.58

720.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,695

$0.31 E£15.62

383.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,714

$0.29 E£14.81

310.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,615

$0.20 E£10.16

480.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$1.96 E£99.6

98.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.1K

$5.78 E£294

149.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,943

$1.30 E£66.3

21.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,826

$2.15 E£109

31.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,646

$0.20 E£10.07

485.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 242.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,009

$0.40 E£20.35

220.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,530

$0.20 E£10.07

945.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 26.9K

$1.60 E£81.6

438.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,052

$0.47 E£23.86

176.60%

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

$27.7K COP 86.3M

$33.2K E£1.7M

-16.66%

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

$35.5K COP 110.8M

$28.9K E£1.5M

23.02%

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

$176 COP 549.6K

$14.30 E£727

1131.26%

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

$13.37 COP 41.7K

$7.36 E£375

81.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 93.3K

$13.74 E£699

117.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 139.7K

$19.22 E£978

132.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.3K

$1.03 E£52.2

1556.31%

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.4K

$2.89 E£147

114.53%

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

$793 COP 2.5M

$85.9 E£4,372

823.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.2M

$2,192 E£111.5K

311.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 267.2K

$32.63 E£1,660

162.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 182.5K

$44.97 E£2,287

30.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 425.4K

$118 E£6,028

15.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 321.8K

$53.9 E£2,741

91.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

$142 E£7,223

646.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

$80.1 E£4,075

748.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

$268 E£13.7K

649.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.6M

$151 E£7,706

671.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.8M

$787 E£40.1K

422.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

$436 E£22.2K

290.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

16.21

-32.51%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Qalyub: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,060 in Medellin versus $142 in Qalyub. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $17.00 in Qalyub. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $303 vs $130 – making Qalyub 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 Qalyub: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 266%, 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 $2,574 per month in Medellin and $704 in Qalyub. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Qalyub, 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 $17.00 in Qalyub. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 133% 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 $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Qalyub, where all-in costs run around $469, than in Medellin at $1,716. In Qalyub it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Qalyub – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Qalyub. 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.