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 $722 per month in Siem Reap vs $1,003 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,088 per month in Siem Reap vs $1,573 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $1,455 per month in Siem Reap vs $2,143 in Medellin, rent included.

Siem Reap is about 28% 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 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.45 ៛9,900

$5.91 COP 18.6K

-58.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.72 ៛95.8K

$32.96 COP 103.8K

-28.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.16 ៛28.9K

$7.43 COP 23.4K

-3.63%

Cappuccino

$1.59 ៛6,416

$1.65 COP 5,207

-3.64%

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

$0.68 ៛2,762

$1.10 COP 3,468

-38.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 ៛1,889

$0.78 COP 2,458

-39.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.03 ៛4,148

$1.72 COP 5,412

-40.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.83 ៛7,374

$3.18 COP 10.0K

-42.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 ៛7,241

$1.10 COP 3,474

62.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.44 ៛5,814

$1.26 COP 3,962

14.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.97 ៛3,908

$1.38 COP 4,349

-29.71%

Eggs

$1.55 ៛6,278

$2.18 COP 6,858

-28.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.84 ៛51.9K

$4.49 COP 14.1K

185.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.60 ៛14.5K

$5.79 COP 18.2K

-37.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.47 ៛42.3K

$8.97 COP 28.2K

16.72%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 ៛14.8K

$2.32 COP 7,308

57.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.13 ៛4,558

$1.06 COP 3,352

6.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.40 ៛13.7K

$1.52 COP 4,774

123.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.32 ៛5,343

$1.36 COP 4,270

-2.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.25 ៛5,046

$1.13 COP 3,552

10.62%

Onion (1kg)

$0.95 ៛3,831

$1.17 COP 3,689

-18.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.31 ៛5,286

$0.90 COP 2,838

45.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 ៛2,680

$0.90 COP 2,823

-26.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.86 ៛7,506

$2.23 COP 7,034

-16.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.66 ៛30.9K

$12.12 COP 38.2K

-36.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 ៛2,944

$1.19 COP 3,743

-38.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 ៛6,812

$2.48 COP 7,815

-31.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 ៛3,956

$0.85 COP 2,687

15.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 131.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.08 ៛4,364

$1.42 COP 4,459

-23.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.97 ៛3,923

$1.95 COP 6,141

-50.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.56 ៛18.4K

$7.89 COP 24.8K

-42.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ៛4,386

$0.99 COP 3,118

10.10%

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

$48.7K ៛196.8M

$17.6K COP 55.4M

176.92%

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

$37.2K ៛150.2M

$26.8K COP 84.4M

38.84%

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

$72.7 ៛293.7K

$83.0 COP 261.4K

-12.38%

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

$6.13 ៛24.7K

$9.70 COP 30.5K

-36.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.21 ៛77.6K

$23.52 COP 74.1K

-18.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.12 ៛145.8K

$25.26 COP 79.5K

42.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.48 ៛14.0K

$19.10 COP 60.1K

-81.78%

Cinema Ticket

$4.55 ៛18.4K

$3.95 COP 12.4K

15.19%

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

$377 ៛1.5M

$316 COP 994.2K

19.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,029 ៛20.3M

$5,975 COP 18.8M

-15.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$22.35 ៛90.3K

$60.0 COP 188.9K

-62.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.23 ៛73.6K

$31.82 COP 100.2K

-42.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.7 ៛220.7K

$102 COP 320.1K

-46.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.69 ៛148.1K

$107 COP 338.3K

-65.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$306 ៛1.2M

$475 COP 1.5M

-35.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$220 ៛889.1K

$374 COP 1.2M

-41.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$492 ៛2.0M

$849 COP 2.7M

-42.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$320 ៛1.3M

$719 COP 2.3M

-55.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,470 ៛10.0M

$3,265 COP 10.3M

-24.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,074 ៛4.3M

$1,441 COP 4.5M

-25.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$239 ៛963.1K

$624 COP 2.0M

-61.81%

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: July 25, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $306 in Siem Reap versus $475 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 162% 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 $193 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 39%, 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 $1,082 per month in Siem Reap and $1,504 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 12% 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 $722, than in Medellin at $1,003. 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.