Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sharm El Sheikh and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Sharm El Sheikh: $442 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $14,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Sharm El Sheikh

🇪🇬 Egypt

$442

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sharm El Sheikh and in Medellin

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Sharm El Sheikh and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $442 per month in Sharm El Sheikh vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Sharm El Sheikh $442
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $674 per month in Sharm El Sheikh vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Sharm El Sheikh $674
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $905 per month in Sharm El Sheikh vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Sharm El Sheikh $905
Medellin $3,186

Sharm El Sheikh is about 73% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Sharm El Sheikh sits 68% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.6K

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$21.07 E£1,180

$47.05 COP 148.9K

-55.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.46 E£249

$9.50 COP 30.1K

-53.05%

Cappuccino

$2.17 E£122

$3.01 COP 9,540

-27.91%

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

$0.33 E£18.71

$1.80 COP 5,693

-81.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 E£28.57

$1.41 COP 4,469

-63.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.46 E£194

$3.18 COP 10.0K

8.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.36 E£244

$5.75 COP 18.2K

-24.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.83 E£46.19

$1.51 COP 4,778

-45.03%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,524

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.42 E£23.72

$1.77 COP 5,606

-76.27%

Eggs

$1.08 E£60.4

$2.89 COP 9,146

-62.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.2K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.46 E£193

$9.87 COP 31.2K

-64.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.3K

Apples (1kg)

$1.39 E£77.8

$3.97 COP 12.6K

-64.99%

Banana (1kg)

$0.45 E£25.39

$1.55 COP 4,911

-70.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.42 E£23.78

$2.18 COP 6,907

-80.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.26 E£14.42

$2.18 COP 6,910

-88.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,210

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,029

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,625

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,934

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.06 E£115

$3.96 COP 12.5K

-47.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.3K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 E£78.0

$1.66 COP 5,252

-16.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,145

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.08 E£4.38

$1.17 COP 3,696

-93.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 244.8K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,013

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,480

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.1K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.43 E£24.08

$1.35 COP 4,262

-68.15%

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

$29.6K E£1.7M

$34.1K COP 107.8M

-12.99%

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

$20.4K E£1.1M

$34.7K COP 109.7M

-41.18%

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

$170 COP 536.8K

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

$10.80 E£605

$13.55 COP 42.9K

-20.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.30 E£1,528

$28.07 COP 88.8K

-2.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 138.3K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.9K

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

$797 COP 2.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.8M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 268.1K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 183.4K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 427.1K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 309.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$337 E£18.8K

$1,208 COP 3.8M

-72.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$284 E£15.9K

$642 COP 2.0M

-55.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$588 E£32.9K

$2,028 COP 6.4M

-71.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$506 E£28.3K

$1,012 COP 3.2M

-49.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$950 E£53.2K

$4,170 COP 13.2M

-77.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$663 E£37.1K

$1,910 COP 6.0M

-65.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$141 E£7,910

$657 COP 2.1M

-78.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

26.5

10.94

142.23%

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

Last update for Sharm El Sheikh: October 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sharm El Sheikh

–

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Groceries & Markets

Sharm El Sheikh

–

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sharm El Sheikh

–

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Eating Out

Sharm El Sheikh

–

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Clothing & Footwear

Sharm El Sheikh

–

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Getting Around

Sharm El Sheikh

–

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Sport & Entertainment

Sharm El Sheikh

–

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $337 in Sharm El Sheikh versus $1,208 in Medellin. 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 4.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $21 in Sharm El Sheikh versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $51 vs $297 – making Sharm El Sheikh the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇪🇬 Sharm El Sheikh

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

09:14 9:14 AM

01:14 1:14 AM

8 h behind Sharm El Sheikh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

38,478

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Egyptian Pound EGP £

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 EGP = 1.79 USD

100 EGP = 1.6 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.16 USD

10,000 COP = 2.84 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to EGP – Egyptian Pound Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇬 Egyptian Pound (£)

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 55.97 EGP (100 EGP = 1.79 USD). 1 EUR = 62.31 EGP (100 EGP = 1.6 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,164 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,523 COP (10,000 COP = 2.84 EUR).

USD to EGP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Sharm El Sheikh Medellin 11,600 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Sharm El Sheikh
Medellin

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

Sharm El Sheikh vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 271%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $663 per month in Sharm El Sheikh and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sharm El Sheikh, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $337 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Groceries cost about 480% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $21 in Sharm El Sheikh and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Sharm El Sheikh, where all-in costs run around $442, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Sharm El Sheikh it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $442 in Sharm El Sheikh to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Sharm El Sheikh. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.