Cost of Living Comparison Between Al-musayyib and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Al-musayyib and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $887 in Al-musayyib versus $1,003 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,338 in Al-musayyib versus $1,573 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,789 in Al-musayyib versus $2,143 in Medellin.

Living in Al-musayyib costs roughly 12% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Al-musayyib 33% lower, Medellin 25% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.49 IQD 7,189

$5.91 COP 18.9K

-7.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.28 IQD 47.5K

$32.96 COP 105.2K

10.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.48 IQD 9,792

$7.43 COP 23.7K

0.67%

Cappuccino

$2.99 IQD 3,911

$1.65 COP 5,280

81.21%

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

$0.37 IQD 483

$1.10 COP 3,517

-66.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.19 IQD 244

$0.78 COP 2,493

-75.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 IQD 4,488

$1.72 COP 5,488

99.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 IQD 3,683

$3.18 COP 10.1K

-11.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 IQD 1,538

$1.10 COP 3,523

6.36%

White Bread (500g)

$0.84 IQD 1,104

$1.26 COP 4,018

-33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 IQD 1,975

$1.38 COP 4,410

9.42%

Eggs

$1.49 IQD 1,956

$2.18 COP 6,955

-31.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.54 IQD 5,947

$4.49 COP 14.3K

1.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.74 IQD 4,897

$5.79 COP 18.5K

-35.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.28 IQD 14.8K

$8.97 COP 28.6K

25.75%

Apples (1kg)

$1.18 IQD 1,543

$2.32 COP 7,410

-49.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.13 IQD 1,479

$1.06 COP 3,399

6.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.01 IQD 1,326

$1.52 COP 4,842

-33.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.58 IQD 764

$1.36 COP 4,330

-57.35%

Potato (1kg)

$0.59 IQD 773

$1.13 COP 3,602

-47.79%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 IQD 771

$1.17 COP 3,740

-49.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.54 IQD 712

$0.90 COP 2,878

-40.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.37 IQD 481

$0.90 COP 2,863

-58.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.05 IQD 2,685

$2.23 COP 7,132

-8.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.81 IQD 18.1K

$12.12 COP 38.7K

13.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 IQD 2,301

$1.19 COP 3,795

47.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 IQD 2,721

$2.48 COP 7,925

-16.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 IQD 479

$0.85 COP 2,725

-56.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.47 IQD 41.2K

$41.62 COP 132.9K

-24.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.91 IQD 5,122

$1.42 COP 4,521

175.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 IQD 1,996

$1.95 COP 6,227

-22.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.61 IQD 9,960

$7.89 COP 25.2K

-3.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.58 IQD 755

$0.99 COP 3,162

-41.41%

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

$19.9K IQD 26.1M

$17.6K COP 56.2M

13.28%

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

$20.0K IQD 26.1M

$26.8K COP 85.6M

-25.50%

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

$180 IQD 235.5K

$83.0 COP 265.0K

116.62%

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

$25.74 IQD 33.7K

$9.70 COP 31.0K

165.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.78 IQD 53.4K

$23.52 COP 75.1K

73.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.66 IQD 48.0K

$25.26 COP 80.6K

45.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.60 IQD 21.7K

$19.10 COP 61.0K

-13.09%

Cinema Ticket

$7.63 IQD 9,992

$3.95 COP 12.6K

93.16%

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

$167 IQD 218.1K

$316 COP 1.0M

-47.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,566 IQD 4.7M

$5,975 COP 19.1M

-40.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.32 IQD 37.1K

$60.0 COP 191.6K

-52.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.26 IQD 39.6K

$31.82 COP 101.6K

-4.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.4 IQD 84.3K

$102 COP 324.6K

-36.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.85 IQD 56.1K

$107 COP 343.1K

-60.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$241 IQD 315.4K

$475 COP 1.5M

-49.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$180 IQD 236.1K

$374 COP 1.2M

-51.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$583 IQD 763.9K

$849 COP 2.7M

-31.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$342 IQD 448.0K

$719 COP 2.3M

-52.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,265 COP 10.4M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 COP 4.6M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.67

13.43

-57.78%

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

Last update for Al-musayyib: July 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $241 in Al-musayyib and $475 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $36.00 in Al-musayyib vs $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $168 vs $193, with Al-musayyib cheaper for home cooking.

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-musayyib vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al-musayyib and Medellin differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($887 vs $1,003 including rent). Al-musayyib is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,330 in Al-musayyib and $1,504 in Medellin to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $241 in Al-musayyib versus $475 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $167 in Al-musayyib versus $316 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $887 in Al-musayyib versus $1,003 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Al-musayyib but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Al-musayyib the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Al-musayyib gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.