Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Svay Rieng Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Svay Rieng

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,031 per month in Medellin vs $574 in Svay Rieng, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,599 per month in Medellin vs $908 in Svay Rieng, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,167 per month in Medellin vs $1,242 in Svay Rieng, rent included.

Medellin costs about 79% more than Svay Rieng, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Medellin and Svay Rieng are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 23% lower, Svay Rieng 57% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$2.03 ៛8,189

203.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$30.33 ៛122.3K

7.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$6.82 ៛27.5K

7.62%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,599

$0.77 ៛3,116

123.38%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$0.48 ៛1,939

118.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$0.26 ៛1,055

196.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,487

$1.52 ៛6,144

11.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$2.47 ៛9,949

28.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$2.13 ៛8,595

-50.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$1.47 ៛5,924

-11.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$1.02 ៛4,115

37.25%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,046

$1.75 ៛7,049

23.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$12.77 ៛51.5K

-65.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$4.04 ៛16.3K

45.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$10.19 ៛41.1K

-15.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,425

$4.53 ៛18.3K

-49.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,603

$1.61 ៛6,496

-31.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,982

$3.80 ៛15.3K

-59.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$1.48 ៛5,956

-8.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$1.71 ៛6,879

-33.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$1.24 ៛5,004

-8.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$1.39 ៛5,595

-38.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$0.67 ៛2,699

35.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,629

$2.02 ៛8,139

15.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$10.89 ៛43.9K

13.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$1.05 ៛4,234

14.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$1.69 ៛6,795

47.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,727

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$1.06 ៛4,279

33.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$1.02 ៛4,099

88.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$4.57 ៛18.4K

67.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$1.18 ៛4,742

-16.10%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$49.8K ៛200.7M

-63.78%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$37.4K ៛150.7M

-28.79%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$108 ៛434.4K

-25.01%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$6.31 ៛25.4K

57.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$22.95 ៛92.5K

5.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.6K

$25.27 ៛101.9K

-0.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$4.40 ៛17.7K

-9.55%

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

$305 COP 993.4K

$378 ៛1.5M

-19.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$11.5K ៛46.5M

-47.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$22.42 ៛90.4K

159.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$22.56 ៛90.9K

42.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$89.8 ៛362.0K

12.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$74.9 ៛301.7K

43.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

10.3

30.39%

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

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Last update for Svay Rieng: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin versus $30.00 in Svay Rieng. Groceries tell a different story – $193 in Medellin vs $243 in Svay Rieng – 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 Svay Rieng: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 79%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,546 per month in Medellin and $862 in Svay Rieng. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $33.00 in Medellin and $30.00 in Svay Rieng. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 26% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Svay Rieng, where all-in costs run around $574, than in Medellin at $1,031. In Svay Rieng it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Svay Rieng – 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 Svay Rieng. 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.