Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Siem Reap Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Siem Reap

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,034 per month in Medellin vs $718 in Siem Reap, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,577 per month in Medellin vs $1,090 in Siem Reap, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,120 per month in Medellin vs $1,462 in Siem Reap, rent included.

Medellin costs about 44% more than Siem Reap, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Medellin and Siem Reap are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 23% lower, Siem Reap 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$2.48 ៛9,977

138.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$23.77 ៛95.5K

37.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$6.82 ៛27.4K

5.57%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$1.65 ៛6,645

3.03%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$0.68 ៛2,741

61.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.48 ៛1,912

50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$0.98 ៛3,930

70.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$1.83 ៛7,355

69.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$1.79 ៛7,184

-40.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$1.42 ៛5,707

-11.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$1.04 ៛4,159

33.65%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$1.57 ៛6,322

43.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$12.92 ៛51.9K

-66.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$3.59 ៛14.4K

62.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$10.34 ៛41.5K

-14.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$3.70 ៛14.9K

-39.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$1.07 ៛4,303

0.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$3.24 ៛13.0K

-52.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$1.32 ៛5,319

3.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$1.25 ៛5,022

-9.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$0.96 ៛3,850

16.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$1.34 ៛5,398

-36.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$0.71 ៛2,845

28.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$1.84 ៛7,374

26.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$7.46 ៛30.0K

49.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$0.78 ៛3,125

52.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$1.70 ៛6,825

39.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$0.98 ៛3,936

-19.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$1.03 ៛4,147

39.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$1.02 ៛4,113

87.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$4.52 ៛18.2K

77.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$1.07 ៛4,309

-12.15%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$49.8K ៛200.0M

-64.00%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$37.3K ៛150.0M

-28.26%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$75.6 ៛303.5K

11.10%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$5.97 ៛24.0K

60.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$19.14 ៛76.9K

26.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$35.89 ៛144.2K

-27.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

$3.47 ៛13.9K

448.70%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$4.47 ៛18.0K

-12.30%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$374 ៛1.5M

-18.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$5,056 ៛20.3M

17.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$22.12 ៛88.8K

161.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$18.14 ៛72.9K

75.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$54.8 ៛220.1K

82.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$35.82 ៛143.9K

199.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$314 ៛1.3M

54.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$222 ៛892.0K

65.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$492 ៛2.0M

67.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$324 ៛1.3M

121.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$2,461 ៛9.9M

18.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

$1,075 ៛4.3M

30.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

$218 ៛874.6K

150.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

9.2

45.98%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Last update for Siem Reap: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $487 in Medellin versus $314 in Siem Reap. 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 151% 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 $33.00 in Medellin versus $24.00 in Siem Reap. Groceries tell a different story – $190 in Medellin vs $217 in Siem Reap – so Medellin wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Siem Reap: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 44%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,550 per month in Medellin and $1,077 in Siem Reap. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Siem Reap, 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 $24.00 in Siem Reap. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 14% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Siem Reap, where all-in costs run around $718, than in Medellin at $1,034. In Siem Reap it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Siem Reap. 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.