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 $1,017 per month in Medellin vs $720 in Siem Reap, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,602 per month in Medellin vs $1,070 in Siem Reap, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,188 per month in Medellin vs $1,419 in Siem Reap, rent included.

Medellin costs about 41% more than Siem Reap, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Medellin and Siem Reap are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 24% lower, Siem Reap 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$2.43 ៛9,743

144.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$23.57 ៛94.6K

41.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$7.17 ៛28.8K

0.84%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$1.67 ៛6,690

-2.40%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$0.68 ៛2,714

60.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.51 ៛2,045

43.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$0.98 ៛3,919

77.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$1.83 ៛7,362

76.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$1.81 ៛7,261

-41.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$1.41 ៛5,663

-8.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$1.01 ៛4,073

30.69%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$1.57 ៛6,297

44.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$12.66 ៛50.8K

-65.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$3.64 ៛14.6K

61.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$10.45 ៛41.9K

-17.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$3.53 ៛14.1K

-36.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$1.12 ៛4,495

-4.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$3.37 ៛13.5K

-54.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$1.27 ៛5,077

11.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$1.25 ៛5,023

-6.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$0.96 ៛3,841

21.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$1.30 ៛5,234

-31.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$0.67 ៛2,693

34.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$1.93 ៛7,736

16.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$7.60 ៛30.5K

45.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$0.79 ៛3,187

44.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$1.64 ៛6,597

45.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$1.02 ៛4,076

-17.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$1.08 ៛4,324

30.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$0.97 ៛3,899

95.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$4.56 ៛18.3K

69.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$1.12 ៛4,489

-9.82%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$49.8K ៛199.9M

-64.71%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$36.6K ៛146.7M

-27.52%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$75.1 ៛301.4K

11.41%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$5.98 ៛24.0K

58.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$19.12 ៛76.7K

26.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$36.29 ៛145.6K

-30.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

$3.54 ៛14.2K

440.68%

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$4.48 ៛18.0K

-8.48%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$370 ៛1.5M

-15.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$5,029 ៛20.2M

19.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$22.42 ៛90.0K

158.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$18.00 ៛72.2K

80.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$55.2 ៛221.5K

80.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$35.64 ៛143.0K

204.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$303 ៛1.2M

59.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$223 ៛896.2K

69.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$500 ៛2.0M

67.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$331 ៛1.3M

118.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

$2,501 ៛10.0M

13.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

$1,068 ៛4.3M

14.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

$237 ៛952.6K

127.86%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Siem Reap: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Medellin versus $303 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 128% 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 $216 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 41%, 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 $1,525 per month in Medellin and $1,080 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 $720, than in Medellin at $1,017. 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.