Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Shubra Al Khaymah

For one person, living is cheaper in Shubra Al Khaymah: $435 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,614
/mo nomad
Shubra Al Khaymah
🇪🇬 Egypt
$435
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Shubra Al Khaymah

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 Shubra Al Khaymah actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $435 in Shubra Al Khaymah, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,614
  • Shubra Al Khaymah $435

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $731 in Shubra Al Khaymah, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,402
  • Shubra Al Khaymah $731

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $1,028 in Shubra Al Khaymah, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,190
  • Shubra Al Khaymah $1,028

Medellin costs about 271% more than Shubra Al Khaymah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Shubra Al Khaymah is 68% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Shubra Al Khaymah
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$7.93 COP 25.2K
$4.11 E£218
92.94%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.13 COP 146.7K
$19.07 E£1,011
141.90%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.2K
$4.62 E£245
105.63%
Cappuccino
$3.11 COP 9,897
$1.29 E£68.5
141.09%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.83 COP 5,818
$0.32 E£16.98
471.88%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.38 COP 4,373
$0.13 E£7.04
961.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.05 COP 9,702
$1.37 E£72.6
122.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.50 COP 17.5K
$2.25 E£120
144.44%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Shubra Al Khaymah
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.45 COP 4,614
$0.82 E£43.39
76.83%
White Bread (500g)
$2.36 COP 7,519
$0.72 E£38.08
227.78%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.68 COP 5,345
$0.59 E£31.41
184.75%
Eggs
$2.86 COP 9,106
$1.17 E£62.1
144.44%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.4K
$3.93 E£208
159.29%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.53 COP 30.3K
$4.28 E£227
122.66%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.04 COP 44.7K
$9.04 E£479
55.31%
Apples (1kg)
$4.07 COP 12.9K
$1.55 E£82.1
162.58%
Banana (1kg)
$1.50 COP 4,757
$0.78 E£41.27
92.31%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.17 COP 6,913
$0.56 E£29.55
287.50%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.31 COP 7,333
$0.36 E£18.85
541.67%
Potato (1kg)
$1.93 COP 6,132
$0.26 E£13.84
642.31%
Onion (1kg)
$1.64 COP 5,212
$0.30 E£15.65
446.67%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.13 COP 3,582
$0.25 E£13.23
352.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.25 COP 3,966
$0.22 E£11.41
468.18%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.99 COP 12.7K
$1.92 E£102
107.81%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.35 COP 42.5K
$5.59 E£297
138.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.70 COP 5,400
$1.23 E£65.3
38.21%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.37 COP 7,548
$2.17 E£115
9.22%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Shubra Al Khaymah
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.21 COP 3,839
$0.21 E£10.94
476.19%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.5 COP 243.3K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.32 COP 4,192
$0.37 E£19.54
256.76%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.14 COP 6,795
$0.20 E£10.41
970.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.47 COP 26.9K
$1.15 E£61.1
636.52%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.30 COP 4,127
$0.42 E£22.51
209.52%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.0K COP 89.0M
$32.4K E£1.7M
-13.51%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$35.4K COP 112.6M
$26.9K E£1.4M
31.78%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Shubra Al Khaymah
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$172 COP 547.3K
$14.47 E£767
1089.29%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.37 COP 42.5K
$6.83 E£362
95.75%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.73 COP 91.4K
$13.12 E£696
118.98%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Shubra Al Khaymah
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.24 COP 143.9K
$14.10 E£748
220.85%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.04 COP 54.2K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.28 COP 20.0K
$2.93 E£155
114.33%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Shubra Al Khaymah
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$770 COP 2.4M
$87.9 E£4,659
776.51%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,011 COP 28.7M
$2,124 E£112.6K
324.29%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Shubra Al Khaymah
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.4 COP 274.8K
$33.58 E£1,780
157.33%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.1 COP 181.7K
$44.89 E£2,380
27.27%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$137 COP 434.3K
$115 E£6,085
18.97%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 311.4K
$55.9 E£2,961
75.31%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Shubra Al Khaymah
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,055 COP 3.4M
$111 E£5,903
847.68%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$616 COP 2.0M
$64.8 E£3,436
850.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,892 COP 6.0M
$278 E£14.7K
580.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,023 COP 3.3M
$155 E£8,222
559.56%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,059 COP 12.9M
$716 E£38.0K
466.60%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,678 COP 5.3M
$360 E£19.1K
366.17%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Shubra Al Khaymah
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$652 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: October 12, 2026

Last update for Shubra Al Khaymah: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$616
Shubra Al Khaymah
$65 89.5% $551
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$295
Shubra Al Khaymah
$126 57.3% $169
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$214
Shubra Al Khaymah
$34 83.9% $180
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$170
Shubra Al Khaymah
$112 34.1% $58
Eating Out
Medellin
$168
Shubra Al Khaymah
$75 55.2% $93
Getting Around
Medellin
$93
Shubra Al Khaymah
$2.2 * 97.7% $91
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Shubra Al Khaymah
$20 65.5% $38

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $111 in Shubra Al Khaymah. 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 $46.00 in Medellin versus $19.00 in Shubra Al Khaymah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $126 – making Shubra Al Khaymah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇪🇬 Shubra Al Khaymah
🕒 Local time
14:22 2:22 PM
22:22 10:22 PM
8 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
1,016,722
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

EGP, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 3,181 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,562 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 53.02 EGP (100 EGP = 1.89 USD). 1 EUR = 59.37 EGP (100 EGP = 1.68 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Shubra Al Khaymah 11,250 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Shubra Al Khaymah

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 Shubra Al Khaymah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Shubra Al Khaymah cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 271%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $652 in Shubra Al Khaymah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Shubra Al Khaymah, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Shubra Al Khaymah?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $46.00 in Medellin and $19.00 in Shubra Al Khaymah. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Medellin and in Shubra Al Khaymah?
Groceries cost about 134% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Medellin or in Shubra Al Khaymah?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Shubra Al Khaymah, where all-in costs run around $435, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Shubra Al Khaymah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Medellin or Shubra Al Khaymah more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Shubra Al Khaymah – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Shubra Al Khaymah. 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.

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