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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,013 per month in Medellin vs $449 in Qalyub, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,602 per month in Medellin vs $720 in Qalyub, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,192 per month in Medellin vs $991 in Qalyub, rent included.

Medellin costs about 126% more than Qalyub, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Medellin and Qalyub are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 24% lower, Qalyub 67% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$3.61 E£188

65.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.2K

$16.06 E£833

104.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$4.69 E£243

51.17%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,105

$1.50 E£78.1

14.00%

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

$1.10 COP 3,918

$0.31 E£16.31

254.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,776

$0.12 E£6.36

550.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,987

$1.27 E£65.8

32.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 10.9K

$2.70 E£140

13.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,899

$0.84 E£43.64

29.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,500

$0.59 E£30.67

113.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,914

$0.67 E£34.60

105.97%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,813

$1.44 E£74.5

52.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$3.38 E£175

30.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$4.26 E£221

32.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.7K

$8.42 E£437

5.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,334

$1.46 E£75.9

60.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,771

$0.57 E£29.61

85.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,365

$0.43 E£22.12

248.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,915

$0.36 E£18.93

283.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,104

$0.41 E£21.13

180.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,148

$0.40 E£20.74

190.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,176

$0.24 E£12.53

270.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,992

$0.19 E£9.82

342.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,131

$1.95 E£101

16.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 37.9K

$5.62 E£292

89.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,276

$1.22 E£63.4

-1.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,809

$1.76 E£91.6

40.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,051

$0.18 E£9.39

377.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,255

$0.39 E£19.99

276.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 6,997

$0.29 E£15.01

575.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$0.96 E£49.62

706.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,403

$0.30 E£15.79

216.67%

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

$18.1K COP 64.6M

$35.0K E£1.8M

-48.23%

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

$26.5K COP 94.4M

$30.2K E£1.6M

-12.19%

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

$82.3 COP 293.2K

$11.14 E£578

638.33%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$5.59 E£290

69.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.4K

$9.91 E£515

144.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.3K

$22.38 E£1,161

15.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.7K

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$3.01 E£156

30.56%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$88.0 E£4,564

251.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$1,830 E£95.0K

225.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.1K

$27.74 E£1,439

111.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.3K

$44.04 E£2,286

-26.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 365.7K

$107 E£5,566

-4.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 386.5K

$50.1 E£2,602

116.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$193 E£10.0K

146.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$99.6 E£5,168

280.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$309 E£16.0K

171.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$178 E£9,264

305.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

$776 E£40.3K

259.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$408 E£21.2K

197.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

16.67

-19.44%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Qalyub: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $476 in Medellin versus $193 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 $33.00 in Medellin versus $16.00 in Qalyub. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $188 vs $120 – 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 126%, 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 $1,519 per month in Medellin and $673 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 $33.00 in Medellin and $16.00 in Qalyub. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 57% 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 $449, than in Medellin at $1,013. 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.