Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Sanaa Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Sanaa

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,681 per month in Medellin vs $1,020 in Sanaa, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,445 per month in Medellin vs $1,621 in Sanaa, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,210 per month in Medellin vs $2,223 in Sanaa, rent included.

Medellin costs about 65% more than Sanaa, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$6.33 YER 1,494

26.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$24.97 YER 5,898

91.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$9.53 YER 2,252

3.78%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.98 YER 468

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 YER 604

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$3.80 YER 898

-17.63%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$1.18 YER 279

61.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.63 YER 150

139.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$2.09 YER 493

-31.10%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$1.66 YER 391

50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$1.98 YER 469

-10.61%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$3.70 YER 875

-20.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$17.00 YER 4,017

-40.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$8.11 YER 1,916

24.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$19.13 YER 4,520

-25.25%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$3.26 YER 770

26.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.01 YER 239

59.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$2.26 YER 533

-0.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$1.69 YER 398

33.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$1.53 YER 362

33.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$1.38 YER 326

11.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$1.21 YER 286

-3.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.68 YER 160

92.65%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.46 YER 817

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 YER 440

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 YER 775

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$5.60 YER 1,322

-30.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.44 YER 103

177.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$86.0 YER 20.3K

-6.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$4.26 YER 1,006

-69.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$2.17 YER 513

0.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$7.41 YER 1,751

17.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$2.11 YER 499

-35.07%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$16.7K YER 4.0M

66.34%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$34.6K YER 8.2M

3.39%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$108 YER 25.6K

63.44%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$23.71 YER 5,601

-41.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$101 YER 23.9K

-70.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$67.5 YER 15.9K

-33.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$16.01 YER 3,782

6.93%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$5.84 YER 1,379

13.87%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$118 YER 27.8K

591.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$2,184 YER 515.8K

320.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$41.56 YER 9,818

115.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$121 YER 28.7K

-51.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$48.05 YER 11.4K

187.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$41.45 YER 9,793

146.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$225 YER 53.1K

372.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$95.8 YER 22.6K

592.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$401 YER 94.7K

371.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$270 YER 63.8K

280.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$4,166 YER 984.2K

0.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$817 YER 192.9K

105.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$197 YER 46.5K

244.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

11.25

-2.76%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Sanaa: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,062 in Medellin versus $225 in Sanaa. 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 244% 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 $25.00 in Sanaa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $305 vs $269 – making Sanaa 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 Sanaa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 65%, and the gap shows up most in Monthly Utilities & Internet. 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 $1,530 in Sanaa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sanaa, 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 $25.00 in Sanaa. 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 $1,020 in Sanaa. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Sanaa, where all-in costs run around $1,020, than in Medellin at $1,681. In Sanaa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sanaa – 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 Sanaa. 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.