Cost of Living Comparison Between Siem Reap and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Siem Reap and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $718 per month in Siem Reap vs $1,034 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,090 per month in Siem Reap vs $1,577 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,462 per month in Siem Reap vs $2,120 in Medellin, rent included.

Siem Reap is about 31% cheaper than Medellin, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both Siem Reap and Medellin are more affordable than the global median – Siem Reap 46% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.48 ៛9,977

$5.92 COP 21.4K

-58.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.77 ៛95.5K

$32.75 COP 118.2K

-27.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.82 ៛27.4K

$7.20 COP 26.0K

-5.28%

Cappuccino

$1.65 ៛6,645

$1.70 COP 6,140

-2.94%

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

$0.68 ៛2,741

$1.10 COP 3,966

-38.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.48 ៛1,912

$0.72 COP 2,605

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.98 ៛3,930

$1.67 COP 6,022

-41.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 ៛7,355

$3.10 COP 11.2K

-40.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ៛7,184

$1.06 COP 3,809

68.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.42 ៛5,707

$1.25 COP 4,497

13.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.04 ៛4,159

$1.39 COP 5,022

-25.18%

Eggs

$1.57 ៛6,322

$2.26 COP 8,168

-30.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.92 ៛51.9K

$4.33 COP 15.6K

198.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.59 ៛14.4K

$5.84 COP 21.1K

-38.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.34 ៛41.5K

$8.83 COP 31.9K

17.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.70 ៛14.9K

$2.24 COP 8,099

65.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 ៛4,303

$1.08 COP 3,882

-0.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.24 ៛13.0K

$1.53 COP 5,522

111.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.32 ៛5,319

$1.37 COP 4,950

-3.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 ៛5,022

$1.13 COP 4,078

10.62%

Onion (1kg)

$0.96 ៛3,850

$1.12 COP 4,036

-14.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 ៛5,398

$0.85 COP 3,057

57.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 ៛2,845

$0.91 COP 3,281

-21.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.84 ៛7,374

$2.33 COP 8,414

-21.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.46 ៛30.0K

$11.13 COP 40.2K

-32.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 ៛3,125

$1.19 COP 4,309

-34.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 ៛6,825

$2.37 COP 8,553

-28.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 ៛3,936

$0.79 COP 2,838

24.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 ៛4,147

$1.44 COP 5,184

-28.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 ៛4,113

$1.91 COP 6,901

-46.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.52 ៛18.2K

$8.02 COP 28.9K

-43.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 ៛4,309

$0.94 COP 3,385

13.83%

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

$49.8K ៛200.0M

$17.9K COP 64.7M

177.78%

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

$37.3K ៛150.0M

$26.8K COP 96.7M

39.40%

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

$75.6 ៛303.5K

$84.0 COP 303.1K

-9.99%

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

$5.97 ៛24.0K

$9.60 COP 34.7K

-37.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.14 ៛76.9K

$24.16 COP 87.2K

-20.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.89 ៛144.2K

$25.88 COP 93.4K

38.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.47 ៛13.9K

$19.04 COP 68.7K

-81.78%

Cinema Ticket

$4.47 ៛18.0K

$3.92 COP 14.1K

14.03%

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

$374 ៛1.5M

$306 COP 1.1M

22.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,056 ៛20.3M

$5,919 COP 21.4M

-14.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.12 ៛88.8K

$57.9 COP 209.1K

-61.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.14 ៛72.9K

$31.82 COP 114.9K

-42.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.8 ៛220.1K

$99.9 COP 360.6K

-45.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$35.82 ៛143.9K

$107 COP 386.8K

-66.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$314 ៛1.3M

$487 COP 1.8M

-35.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$222 ៛892.0K

$368 COP 1.3M

-39.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$492 ៛2.0M

$826 COP 3.0M

-40.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$324 ៛1.3M

$716 COP 2.6M

-54.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,461 ៛9.9M

$2,925 COP 10.6M

-15.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,075 ៛4.3M

$1,407 COP 5.1M

-23.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$218 ៛874.6K

$546 COP 2.0M

-60.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.2

13.43

-31.50%

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

Last update for Siem Reap: April 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $314 in Siem Reap versus $487 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 run about 151% 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 $24.00 in Siem Reap versus $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries tell a different story – $217 in Siem Reap vs $190 in Medellin – 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

Siem Reap vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 44%, and the gap shows up most in Clothing & Footwear. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,077 per month in Siem Reap and $1,550 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Siem Reap, 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 $24.00 in Siem Reap and $33.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 14% cheaper in Medellin – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Siem Reap, where all-in costs run around $718, than in Medellin at $1,034. In Siem Reap it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Siem Reap – 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 Siem Reap. 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.