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 $1,003 per month in Medellin vs $722 in Siem Reap, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,573 per month in Medellin vs $1,088 in Siem Reap, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,143 per month in Medellin vs $1,455 in Siem Reap, rent included.

Medellin costs about 39% more than Siem Reap, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Medellin and Siem Reap are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 25% lower, Siem Reap 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.91 COP 18.6K

$2.45 ៛9,900

141.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.96 COP 103.8K

$23.72 ៛95.8K

38.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 COP 23.4K

$7.16 ៛28.9K

3.77%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,207

$1.59 ៛6,416

3.77%

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

$1.10 COP 3,468

$0.68 ៛2,762

61.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,458

$0.47 ៛1,889

65.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,412

$1.03 ៛4,148

66.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$1.83 ៛7,374

73.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 COP 3,474

$1.79 ៛7,241

-38.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 3,962

$1.44 ៛5,814

-12.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,349

$0.97 ៛3,908

42.27%

Eggs

$2.18 COP 6,858

$1.55 ៛6,278

40.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 COP 14.1K

$12.84 ៛51.9K

-65.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.79 COP 18.2K

$3.60 ៛14.5K

60.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 28.2K

$10.47 ៛42.3K

-14.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 COP 7,308

$3.66 ៛14.8K

-36.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,352

$1.13 ៛4,558

-6.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 4,774

$3.40 ៛13.7K

-55.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,270

$1.32 ៛5,343

3.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,552

$1.25 ៛5,046

-9.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,689

$0.95 ៛3,831

23.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,838

$1.31 ៛5,286

-31.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 2,823

$0.66 ៛2,680

36.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 COP 7,034

$1.86 ៛7,506

19.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 COP 38.2K

$7.66 ៛30.9K

58.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 3,743

$0.73 ៛2,944

63.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 7,815

$1.69 ៛6,812

46.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 COP 2,687

$0.98 ៛3,956

-13.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 131.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,459

$1.08 ៛4,364

31.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 COP 6,141

$0.97 ៛3,923

101.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 COP 24.8K

$4.56 ៛18.4K

73.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,118

$1.09 ៛4,386

-9.17%

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

$17.6K COP 55.4M

$48.7K ៛196.8M

-63.89%

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

$26.8K COP 84.4M

$37.2K ៛150.2M

-27.98%

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

$83.0 COP 261.4K

$72.7 ៛293.7K

14.13%

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

$9.70 COP 30.5K

$6.13 ៛24.7K

58.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 COP 74.1K

$19.21 ៛77.6K

22.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.26 COP 79.5K

$36.12 ៛145.8K

-30.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 COP 60.1K

$3.48 ៛14.0K

448.85%

Cinema Ticket

$3.95 COP 12.4K

$4.55 ៛18.4K

-13.19%

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

$316 COP 994.2K

$377 ៛1.5M

-16.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,975 COP 18.8M

$5,029 ៛20.3M

18.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 188.9K

$22.35 ៛90.3K

168.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 100.2K

$18.23 ៛73.6K

74.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 320.1K

$54.7 ៛220.7K

86.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 338.3K

$36.69 ៛148.1K

192.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 COP 1.5M

$306 ៛1.2M

54.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 COP 1.2M

$220 ៛889.1K

69.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 COP 2.7M

$492 ៛2.0M

72.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 COP 2.3M

$320 ៛1.3M

124.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,265 COP 10.3M

$2,470 ៛10.0M

32.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 COP 4.5M

$1,074 ៛4.3M

34.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 COP 2.0M

$239 ៛963.1K

161.82%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Siem Reap: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $475 in Medellin versus $306 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 162% 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 – $193 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 39%, 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 $1,504 per month in Medellin and $1,082 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 12% 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 $722, than in Medellin at $1,003. 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.