Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Sharm El Sheikh

For one person, living is cheaper in Sharm El Sheikh: $442 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $14,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Sharm El Sheikh

🇪🇬 Egypt

$442

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Sharm El Sheikh

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 Sharm El Sheikh actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $442 in Sharm El Sheikh, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Sharm El Sheikh $442

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $674 in Sharm El Sheikh, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Sharm El Sheikh $674

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $905 in Sharm El Sheikh, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Sharm El Sheikh $905

Medellin costs about 271% more than Sharm El Sheikh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Sharm El Sheikh is 68% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.6K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.9K

$21.07 E£1,180

123.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$4.46 E£249

113.00%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,540

$2.17 E£122

38.71%

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

$1.80 COP 5,693

$0.33 E£18.71

445.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,469

$0.51 E£28.57

176.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$3.46 E£194

-8.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.2K

$4.36 E£244

31.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,778

$0.83 E£46.19

81.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,524

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,606

$0.42 E£23.72

321.43%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,146

$1.08 E£60.4

167.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.2K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.2K

$3.46 E£193

185.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.3K

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.6K

$1.39 E£77.8

185.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,911

$0.45 E£25.39

244.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,907

$0.42 E£23.78

419.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,910

$0.26 E£14.42

738.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,210

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,029

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,625

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,934

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$2.06 E£115

92.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.3K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,252

$1.39 E£78.0

19.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,145

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,696

$0.08 E£4.38

1362.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 244.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,013

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,480

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.1K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,262

$0.43 E£24.08

213.95%

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

$34.1K COP 107.8M

$29.6K E£1.7M

14.92%

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

$34.7K COP 109.7M

$20.4K E£1.1M

70.02%

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

$170 COP 536.8K

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

$13.55 COP 42.9K

$10.80 E£605

25.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.8K

$27.30 E£1,528

2.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 138.3K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.9K

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

$797 COP 2.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.8M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 268.1K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 183.4K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 427.1K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 309.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$337 E£18.8K

258.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$284 E£15.9K

126.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$588 E£32.9K

245.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$506 E£28.3K

99.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.2M

$950 E£53.2K

338.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$663 E£37.1K

188.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$141 E£7,910

365.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

26.5

-58.72%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Sharm El Sheikh: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Sharm El Sheikh

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Sharm El Sheikh

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Sharm El Sheikh

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Sharm El Sheikh

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Sharm El Sheikh

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Sharm El Sheikh

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Sharm El Sheikh

–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $337 in Sharm El Sheikh. 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 4.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $21 in Sharm El Sheikh. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $51 – making Sharm El Sheikh the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇪🇬 Sharm El Sheikh

🕒 Local time

02:12 2:12 AM

10:12 10:12 AM

8 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

38,478

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Egyptian Pound EGP £

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.16 USD

10,000 COP = 2.84 EUR

100 EGP = 1.79 USD

100 EGP = 1.6 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

EGP, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,164 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,523 COP (10,000 COP = 2.84 EUR).

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 55.97 EGP (100 EGP = 1.79 USD). 1 EUR = 62.31 EGP (100 EGP = 1.6 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Sharm El Sheikh 11,600 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Sharm El Sheikh

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 Sharm El Sheikh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 271%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $663 in Sharm El Sheikh. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sharm El Sheikh, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $337 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Groceries cost about 480% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $21 in Sharm El Sheikh. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Sharm El Sheikh, where all-in costs run around $442, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Sharm El Sheikh it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $442 in Sharm El Sheikh to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Sharm El Sheikh. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.