Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Souk Ahras

For one person, living is cheaper in Souk Ahras: $492 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Souk Ahras
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Souk Ahras Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Souk Ahras

🇩🇿 Algeria

$492

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Souk Ahras

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

A single person spends $1,614 per month in Medellin vs $492 in Souk Ahras, rent included.

Medellin $1,614
Souk Ahras $492

A couple spends around $2,402 per month in Medellin vs $771 in Souk Ahras, rent included.

Medellin $2,402
Souk Ahras $771

A family of three spends $3,190 per month in Medellin vs $1,051 in Souk Ahras, rent included.

Medellin $3,190
Souk Ahras $1,051

Medellin costs about 228% more than Souk Ahras, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Souk Ahras is 64% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.3K

$2.26 DZD 302

250.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 147.1K

$10.45 DZD 1,398

341.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.3K

$4.02 DZD 538

136.32%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,920

$0.63 DZD 83.9

393.65%

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

$1.83 COP 5,832

$0.48 DZD 64.5

281.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,384

$0.26 DZD 34.94

430.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,725

$1.36 DZD 183

124.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.5K

$2.06 DZD 275

166.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,625

$0.83 DZD 111

74.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,537

$0.22 DZD 29.14

972.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,358

$1.24 DZD 166

35.48%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,127

$1.23 DZD 165

132.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.5K

$3.35 DZD 449

204.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.4K

$2.83 DZD 379

236.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.8K

$16.28 DZD 2,179

-13.76%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 13.0K

$1.50 DZD 201

171.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,768

$2.95 DZD 395

-49.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,929

$1.12 DZD 150

93.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,350

$0.91 DZD 121

153.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,147

$0.38 DZD 50.9

407.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,224

$0.40 DZD 53.1

310.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,590

$0.22 DZD 29.36

413.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,976

$0.28 DZD 37.75

346.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.7K

$2.15 DZD 287

85.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.6K

$6.65 DZD 890

100.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,413

$1.14 DZD 153

49.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,566

$1.74 DZD 232

36.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,848

$0.17 DZD 23.42

611.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 243.9K

$5.98 DZD 800

1179.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,202

$0.55 DZD 73.0

140.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,811

$0.49 DZD 65.0

336.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 27.0K

$4.91 DZD 658

72.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,137

$0.32 DZD 42.86

306.25%

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

$28.0K COP 89.2M

$31.3K DZD 4.2M

-10.67%

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

$35.4K COP 112.9M

$34.7K DZD 4.7M

1.94%

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

$172 COP 548.6K

$35.87 DZD 4,802

379.76%

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

$13.37 COP 42.6K

$9.06 DZD 1,212

47.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.6K

$19.29 DZD 2,582

48.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 144.2K

$11.48 DZD 1,536

294.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.3K

$3.93 DZD 525

333.59%

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 20.0K

$4.56 DZD 611

37.72%

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

$770 COP 2.5M

$88.6 DZD 11.9K

769.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.7M

$4,059 DZD 543.3K

122.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 275.5K

$29.49 DZD 3,947

193.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 182.1K

$32.54 DZD 4,355

75.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 435.3K

$75.8 DZD 10.1K

80.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 312.1K

$76.3 DZD 10.2K

28.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.4M

$142 DZD 19.0K

644.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$93.3 DZD 12.5K

560.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$290 DZD 38.8K

552.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.3M

$174 DZD 23.3K

486.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$956 DZD 128.0K

324.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.4M

$1,018 DZD 136.2K

64.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

$285 DZD 38.2K

128.53%

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: October 12, 2026

Last update for Souk Ahras: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

Souk Ahras

$93 19% 84.9% $523

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

Souk Ahras

$156 31.8% 47% $138

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

Souk Ahras

$64 13.1% 70% $150

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

Souk Ahras

$96 19.6% 43.3% $74

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

Souk Ahras

$52 10.5% 69.4% $117

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

Souk Ahras

$9.7 2% 89.7% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

Souk Ahras

$21 4.2% 64.4% $37

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,055 in Medellin versus $142 in Souk Ahras. 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 129% 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 $46.00 in Medellin versus $10.00 in Souk Ahras. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $295 vs $156 – making Souk Ahras the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇩🇿 Souk Ahras

🕒 Local time

12:23 12:23 PM

18:23 6:23 PM

6 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

155,259

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Algerian Dinar DZD د.ج

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.14 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1,000 DZD = 7.47 USD

1,000 DZD = 6.69 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

DZD, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 3,188 COP (10,000 COP = 3.14 USD). 1 EUR = 3,559 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Algerian Dinar exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 134 DZD (1,000 DZD = 7.47 USD). 1 EUR = 149 DZD (1,000 DZD = 6.69 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Souk Ahras 9,020 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Souk Ahras

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 Souk Ahras: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 228%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,421 per month in Medellin and $738 in Souk Ahras. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Souk Ahras, 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 $46.00 in Medellin and $10.00 in Souk Ahras. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,614 in Medellin and $492 in Souk Ahras. That's a gap of about 228%.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Souk Ahras, where all-in costs run around $492, than in Medellin at $1,614. In Souk Ahras it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Souk Ahras – 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 Souk Ahras. 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.