Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Skikda

For one person, living is cheaper in Skikda: $537 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $13,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Skikda, Algeria
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,692
/mo nomad
Skikda
🇩🇿 Algeria
$537
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Skikda

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 Skikda actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $537 in Skikda, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,692
  • Skikda $537

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $874 in Skikda, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,471
  • Skikda $874

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $1,210 in Skikda, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,249
  • Skikda $1,210

Medellin costs about 215% more than Skikda, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Skikda is 60% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Skikda
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.34 COP 26.9K
$3.26 DZD 440
155.83%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.53 COP 150.1K
$17.51 DZD 2,367
165.73%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.47 COP 30.6K
$3.84 DZD 519
146.61%
Cappuccino
$3.13 COP 10.1K
$0.69 DZD 93.3
353.62%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 COP 5,700
$0.39 DZD 52.2
353.85%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.42 COP 4,597
$0.26 DZD 35.20
446.15%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.15 COP 10.2K
$1.52 DZD 205
107.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.70 COP 18.4K
$2.12 DZD 287
168.87%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Skikda
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.53 COP 4,946
$1.02 DZD 138
50.00%
White Bread (500g)
$2.29 COP 7,394
$0.17 DZD 22.94
1247.06%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 COP 6,276
$1.51 DZD 205
28.48%
Eggs
$3.07 COP 9,895
$1.20 DZD 162
155.83%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.99 COP 32.2K
$7.70 DZD 1,041
29.74%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.45 COP 33.7K
$4.38 DZD 592
138.58%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.96 COP 45.0K
$13.07 DZD 1,767
6.81%
Apples (1kg)
$4.05 COP 13.1K
$2.04 DZD 276
98.53%
Banana (1kg)
$1.53 COP 4,932
$2.69 DZD 363
-43.12%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.10 COP 6,791
$1.08 DZD 146
94.44%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.29 COP 7,402
$1.11 DZD 150
106.31%
Potato (1kg)
$2.11 COP 6,807
$0.57 DZD 76.8
270.18%
Onion (1kg)
$1.71 COP 5,515
$0.45 DZD 60.7
280.00%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.17 COP 3,776
$0.41 DZD 55.9
185.37%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 COP 5,099
$0.27 DZD 36.81
485.19%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.91 COP 12.6K
$2.69 DZD 364
45.35%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.04 COP 45.3K
$6.80 DZD 920
106.47%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.76 COP 5,685
$1.27 DZD 172
38.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.71 COP 8,752
$1.87 DZD 253
44.92%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Skikda
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.18 COP 3,807
$0.17 DZD 22.43
594.12%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.3 COP 246.2K
$6.57 DZD 889
1061.19%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.81 COP 5,831
$0.98 DZD 133
84.69%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.13 COP 6,871
$0.40 DZD 54.2
432.50%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.13 COP 26.2K
$5.26 DZD 711
54.56%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.28 COP 4,115
$0.31 DZD 41.25
312.90%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.4K COP 111.1M
$31.1K DZD 4.2M
10.63%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.1K COP 110.1M
$34.6K DZD 4.7M
-1.27%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Skikda
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$178 COP 573.5K
$35.55 DZD 4,805
399.94%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.89 COP 44.8K
$9.09 DZD 1,229
52.81%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.74 COP 99.2K
$15.73 DZD 2,126
95.42%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Skikda
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.94 COP 135.4K
$17.32 DZD 2,341
142.15%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.80 COP 54.2K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.47 COP 24.1K
$4.38 DZD 592
70.55%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Skikda
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$790 COP 2.5M
$327 DZD 44.2K
141.45%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.3K COP 39.7M
$4,869 DZD 658.2K
152.54%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Skikda
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.3 COP 278.6K
$31.64 DZD 4,277
172.88%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$59.3 COP 191.2K
$34.70 DZD 4,691
70.78%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$138 COP 446.4K
$75.4 DZD 10.2K
83.45%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.8 COP 318.9K
$111 DZD 14.9K
-10.66%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Skikda
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,341 COP 4.3M
$143 DZD 19.4K
834.65%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$667 COP 2.2M
$91.7 DZD 12.4K
627.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,976 COP 6.4M
$268 DZD 36.3K
636.54%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,033 COP 3.3M
$199 DZD 26.9K
419.13%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,098 COP 13.2M
$960 DZD 129.8K
326.70%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,940 COP 6.3M
$1,043 DZD 140.9K
86.09%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Skikda
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$646 COP 2.1M
$272 DZD 36.7K
137.90%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
5.3
106.42%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Skikda: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$667
Skikda
$92 86.3% $575
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$307
Skikda
$174 43.3% $133
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$222
Skikda
$60 72.8% $162
Eating Out
Medellin
$173
Skikda
$60 65.1% $112
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$172
Skikda
$114 34.1% $59
Getting Around
Medellin
$93
Skikda
$10 89.1% $83
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$57
Skikda
$26 54.2% $31

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,341 in Medellin versus $143 in Skikda. 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 2.4 times higher, 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 $47 in Medellin versus $18 in Skikda. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $174 – making Skikda the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇩🇿 Skikda
🕒 Local time
10:01 10:01 AM
16:01 4:01 PM
6 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
163,618
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

DZD, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 3,227 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,613 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Algerian Dinar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 135 DZD (1,000 DZD = 7.4 USD). 1 EUR = 151 DZD (1,000 DZD = 6.61 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Skikda 8,920 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Skikda

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 Skikda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Skikda cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 215%, 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 $2,538 per month in Medellin and $805 in Skikda. 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 Skikda, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $143 there versus $1,341 in Medellin.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Skikda?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $18 in Skikda. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Medellin and in Skikda?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,692 in Medellin and $537 in Skikda. That makes Skikda about 68% cheaper.
Is $800 a realistic budget for living in Medellin or in Skikda?
A $800 monthly budget goes further in Skikda, where all-in costs run around $537, than in Medellin at $1,692. In Skikda it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Medellin or Skikda more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Skikda – 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 Skikda. If higher salaries 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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