Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Svay Rieng

For one person, living is cheaper in Svay Rieng: $601 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $13,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Svay Rieng, Cambodia
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,692
/mo nomad
Svay Rieng
🇰🇭 Cambodia
$601
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Svay Rieng

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

A single person spends $1,692 per month in Medellin vs $601 in Svay Rieng, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,692
  • Svay Rieng $601

A couple spends around $2,471 per month in Medellin vs $978 in Svay Rieng, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,471
  • Svay Rieng $978

A family of three spends $3,249 per month in Medellin vs $1,355 in Svay Rieng, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,249
  • Svay Rieng $1,355

Medellin costs about 181% more than Svay Rieng, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Medellin sits 25% above the global median, while Svay Rieng is 56% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Svay Rieng
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.34 COP 26.9K
$2.05 ៛8,362
306.83%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$46.53 COP 150.2K
$39.95 ៛163.0K
16.47%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.47 COP 30.6K
$6.98 ៛28.5K
35.67%
Cappuccino
$3.13 COP 10.1K
$0.78 ៛3,169
301.28%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.77 COP 5,702
$0.48 ៛1,958
268.75%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.42 COP 4,599
$0.24 ៛973
491.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.15 COP 10.2K
$1.02 ៛4,167
208.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.70 COP 18.4K
$3.04 ៛12.4K
87.50%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Svay Rieng
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.53 COP 4,948
$2.28 ៛9,290
-32.89%
White Bread (500g)
$2.29 COP 7,397
$1.62 ៛6,601
41.36%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.94 COP 6,279
$1.08 ៛4,417
79.63%
Eggs
$3.07 COP 9,900
$1.75 ៛7,136
75.43%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.99 COP 32.3K
$14.76 ៛60.2K
-32.32%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.45 COP 33.7K
$4.44 ៛18.1K
135.36%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.96 COP 45.1K
$9.43 ៛38.5K
48.04%
Apples (1kg)
$4.05 COP 13.1K
$4.32 ៛17.6K
-6.25%
Banana (1kg)
$1.53 COP 4,934
$1.65 ៛6,733
-7.27%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.10 COP 6,794
$4.62 ៛18.8K
-54.55%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.29 COP 7,405
$1.99 ៛8,117
15.08%
Potato (1kg)
$2.11 COP 6,810
$1.73 ៛7,075
21.97%
Onion (1kg)
$1.71 COP 5,518
$1.27 ៛5,162
34.65%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.17 COP 3,778
$1.38 ៛5,636
-15.22%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 COP 5,101
$0.75 ៛3,065
110.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.91 COP 12.6K
$1.94 ៛7,917
101.55%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.04 COP 45.3K
$10.80 ៛44.1K
30.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.76 COP 5,688
$1.01 ៛4,134
74.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.71 COP 8,756
$1.79 ៛7,298
51.40%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Svay Rieng
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.18 COP 3,809
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$76.3 COP 246.3K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.81 COP 5,833
$1.14 ៛4,644
58.77%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.13 COP 6,874
$1.02 ៛4,148
108.82%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.13 COP 26.3K
$4.99 ៛20.3K
62.93%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.28 COP 4,117
$1.18 ៛4,807
8.47%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.4K COP 111.2M
$35.7K ៛145.5M
-3.45%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.1K COP 110.2M
$44.1K ៛179.8M
-22.54%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Svay Rieng
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$178 COP 573.8K
$119 ៛487.4K
48.75%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.89 COP 44.8K
$7.37 ៛30.0K
88.47%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$30.74 COP 99.2K
$24.91 ៛101.6K
23.40%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Svay Rieng
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.94 COP 135.4K
$25.05 ៛102.2K
67.43%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.80 COP 54.2K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.47 COP 24.1K
$4.91 ៛20.0K
52.14%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Svay Rieng
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$790 COP 2.6M
$598 ៛2.4M
32.09%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.3K COP 39.7M
$11.0K ៛44.9M
11.80%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Svay Rieng
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$86.3 COP 278.7K
$28.15 ៛114.8K
206.71%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$59.3 COP 191.3K
$24.03 ៛98.0K
146.61%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$138 COP 446.6K
$89.4 ៛364.7K
54.74%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.8 COP 319.0K
$59.0 ៛240.7K
67.45%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Svay Rieng
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,341 COP 4.3M
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$667 COP 2.2M
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,976 COP 6.4M
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,033 COP 3.3M
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,098 COP 13.2M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,940 COP 6.3M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Svay Rieng
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$646 COP 2.1M
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
7.94
37.78%

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

Last update for Medellin: November 2, 2026

Last update for Svay Rieng: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$667
Svay Rieng
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$307
Svay Rieng
$257 16.2% $50
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$222
Svay Rieng
$152 31.8% $71
Eating Out
Medellin
$173
Svay Rieng
$61 64.8% $112
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$172
Svay Rieng
$90 47.6% $82
Getting Around
Medellin
$93
Svay Rieng
$6.2 * 93.3% $87
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$57
Svay Rieng
$35 38.7% $22

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $40 in Svay Rieng. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $257 – making Svay Rieng the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇰🇭 Svay Rieng
🕒 Local time
11:42 11:42 AM
23:42 11:42 PM
12 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
23,956
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

KHR, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,615 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Cambodian Riel exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 4,079 KHR (10,000 KHR = 2.45 USD). 1 EUR = 4,567 KHR (10,000 KHR = 2.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Svay Rieng 18,080 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Svay Rieng

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 Svay Rieng: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Svay Rieng cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 181%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,538 per month in Medellin and $902 in Svay Rieng. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Svay Rieng?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $40 in Svay Rieng. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Medellin and in Svay Rieng?
Groceries cost about 19% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is $1,200 a realistic budget for living in Medellin or in Svay Rieng?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Svay Rieng, where all-in costs run around $601, than in Medellin at $1,692. In Svay Rieng it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is it better to live in Medellin or in Svay Rieng?
It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $601 in Svay Rieng to $1,692 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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