Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al-'amarah and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-’amarah: $672 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

32

Cost of Living Index in Al-'amarah
Learn more

Al-'amarah Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index

Jump to prices

Al-'amarah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$672

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Al-'amarah 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 Al-'amarah and in Medellin actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $672 per month in Al-’amarah vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Al-'amarah $672
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $1,023 per month in Al-’amarah vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Al-'amarah $1,023
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $1,373 per month in Al-’amarah vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Al-'amarah $1,373
Medellin $3,186

Al-’amarah is about 59% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Al-’amarah sits 51% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.08 IQD 6,163

$8.09 COP 26.1K

-49.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.39 IQD 29.3K

$47.05 COP 151.7K

-58.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.29 IQD 9,501

$9.50 COP 30.6K

-33.79%

Cappuccino

$2.23 IQD 3,364

$3.01 COP 9,722

-25.91%

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

$0.38 IQD 575

$1.80 COP 5,801

-78.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 IQD 311

$1.41 COP 4,554

-85.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.01 IQD 4,555

$3.18 COP 10.2K

-5.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 IQD 3,705

$5.75 COP 18.5K

-57.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 IQD 1,494

$1.51 COP 4,869

-34.44%

White Bread (500g)

$0.67 IQD 1,014

$2.38 COP 7,667

-71.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 IQD 2,090

$1.77 COP 5,712

-22.03%

Eggs

$1.59 IQD 2,409

$2.89 COP 9,320

-44.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.88 IQD 5,856

$10.19 COP 32.9K

-61.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.44 IQD 5,192

$9.87 COP 31.8K

-65.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.32 IQD 20.1K

$13.99 COP 45.1K

-4.79%

Apples (1kg)

$0.95 IQD 1,440

$3.97 COP 12.8K

-76.07%

Banana (1kg)

$0.98 IQD 1,474

$1.55 COP 5,005

-36.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.91 IQD 1,368

$2.18 COP 7,039

-58.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.63 IQD 951

$2.18 COP 7,041

-71.10%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 IQD 836

$1.96 COP 6,328

-71.94%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 IQD 950

$1.59 COP 5,125

-60.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.56 IQD 848

$1.15 COP 3,694

-51.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.47 IQD 715

$1.24 COP 4,009

-62.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.48 IQD 2,231

$3.96 COP 12.8K

-62.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.09 IQD 18.3K

$13.68 COP 44.1K

-11.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 IQD 2,545

$1.66 COP 5,352

1.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 IQD 2,798

$2.26 COP 7,281

-18.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.29 IQD 438

$1.17 COP 3,766

-75.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.79 IQD 2,712

$1.27 COP 4,089

40.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.17 IQD 1,766

$2.05 COP 6,603

-42.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.46 IQD 8,252

$8.55 COP 27.6K

-36.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.58 IQD 878

$1.35 COP 4,343

-57.04%

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

$17.6K IQD 26.6M

$34.1K COP 109.8M

-48.31%

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

$14.7K IQD 22.2M

$34.7K COP 111.8M

-57.70%

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

$97.8 IQD 147.8K

$170 COP 547.0K

-42.35%

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

$14.57 IQD 22.0K

$13.55 COP 43.7K

7.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.47 IQD 43.0K

$28.07 COP 90.5K

1.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.45 IQD 55.1K

$43.70 COP 140.9K

-16.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.4K

Cinema Ticket

$9.04 IQD 13.7K

$6.91 COP 22.3K

30.82%

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

$143 IQD 216.2K

$797 COP 2.6M

-82.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,964 IQD 4.5M

$9,112 COP 29.4M

-67.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.18 IQD 35.0K

$84.7 COP 273.2K

-72.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.01 IQD 33.3K

$58.0 COP 186.9K

-62.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.2 IQD 103.0K

$135 COP 435.2K

-49.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$32.78 IQD 49.5K

$97.9 COP 315.6K

-66.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$204 IQD 308.8K

$1,208 COP 3.9M

-83.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$140 IQD 211.8K

$642 COP 2.1M

-78.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$368 IQD 555.9K

$2,028 COP 6.5M

-81.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$287 IQD 433.4K

$1,012 COP 3.3M

-71.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$863 IQD 1.3M

$4,170 COP 13.4M

-79.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$486 IQD 733.7K

$1,910 COP 6.2M

-74.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$434 IQD 655.1K

$657 COP 2.1M

-34.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.12

10.94

-62.34%

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

Last update for Al-'amarah: October 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Al-'amarah

$162 24.1%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 83.5% $135

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Al-'amarah

$141 21%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 50% $70

Accommodation & Living

Al-'amarah

$140 20.9%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 358% $501

Eating Out

Al-'amarah

$101 15%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 68.7% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Al-'amarah

$66 9.8%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 157% $103

Sport & Entertainment

Al-'amarah

$55 8.1%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 5.5% $3

Getting Around

Al-'amarah

$8.8 * 1.3%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 963% $85

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $204 in Al-’amarah 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 run about 52% 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 $19 in Al-’amarah versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $162 vs $297 – making Al-’amarah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Al-'amarah

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

03:09 3:09 AM

19:09 7:09 PM

8 h behind Al-'amarah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

511,542

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.93 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to IQD – Iraqi Dinar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇶 Iraqi Dinar (ع.د)

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,687 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.93 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

USD to IQD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Al-'amarah Medellin 12,620 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Al-'amarah
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

Al-'amarah vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 144%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,009 per month in Al-’amarah 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 Al-’amarah, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $204 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $19 in Al-’amarah and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 84% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Al-’amarah, where all-in costs run around $672, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Al-’amarah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Al-’amarah – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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