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: $878 in Al-musayyib versus $1,017 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,356 in Al-musayyib versus $1,602 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,834 in Al-musayyib versus $2,188 in Medellin.

Living in Al-musayyib costs roughly 14% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Al-musayyib 35% lower, Medellin 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.26 IQD 6,889

$5.95 COP 20.7K

-11.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.65 IQD 48.0K

$33.33 COP 116.1K

9.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.51 IQD 9,828

$7.23 COP 25.2K

3.87%

Cappuccino

$3.11 IQD 4,077

$1.63 COP 5,676

90.80%

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

$0.36 IQD 475

$1.09 COP 3,813

-66.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 IQD 263

$0.73 COP 2,543

-72.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.45 IQD 4,518

$1.74 COP 6,053

98.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 IQD 3,856

$3.23 COP 11.3K

-8.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 IQD 1,490

$1.05 COP 3,655

8.57%

White Bread (500g)

$0.83 IQD 1,093

$1.29 COP 4,506

-35.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 IQD 2,061

$1.32 COP 4,608

18.94%

Eggs

$1.57 IQD 2,059

$2.27 COP 7,912

-30.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.60 IQD 6,023

$4.35 COP 15.1K

5.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.87 IQD 5,071

$5.88 COP 20.5K

-34.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.67 IQD 15.3K

$8.61 COP 30.0K

35.54%

Apples (1kg)

$1.14 IQD 1,486

$2.25 COP 7,828

-49.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.12 IQD 1,461

$1.07 COP 3,725

4.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.05 IQD 1,370

$1.52 COP 5,311

-30.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.58 IQD 760

$1.42 COP 4,955

-59.15%

Potato (1kg)

$0.64 IQD 838

$1.17 COP 4,076

-45.30%

Onion (1kg)

$0.59 IQD 769

$1.17 COP 4,069

-49.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 IQD 784

$0.89 COP 3,090

-32.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.37 IQD 480

$0.90 COP 3,140

-58.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.13 IQD 2,786

$2.25 COP 7,821

-5.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.34 IQD 17.5K

$11.04 COP 38.5K

20.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 IQD 2,326

$1.14 COP 3,969

56.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 IQD 2,747

$2.38 COP 8,285

-11.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.39 IQD 516

$0.84 COP 2,910

-53.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.23 IQD 40.9K

$41.95 COP 146.1K

-25.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.90 IQD 5,103

$1.41 COP 4,902

176.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 IQD 1,933

$1.90 COP 6,621

-22.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.57 IQD 9,907

$7.75 COP 27.0K

-2.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.53 IQD 699

$1.01 COP 3,502

-47.52%

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

$19.8K IQD 25.9M

$17.6K COP 61.2M

12.36%

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

$20.0K IQD 26.2M

$26.5K COP 92.3M

-24.46%

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

$179 IQD 234.1K

$83.7 COP 291.5K

113.61%

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

$26.36 IQD 34.5K

$9.45 COP 32.9K

178.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.27 IQD 52.7K

$24.11 COP 84.0K

67.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.09 IQD 48.6K

$25.31 COP 88.2K

46.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.54 IQD 21.7K

$19.14 COP 66.7K

-13.58%

Cinema Ticket

$7.51 IQD 9,840

$4.10 COP 14.3K

83.17%

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

$166 IQD 217.7K

$312 COP 1.1M

-46.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,586 IQD 4.7M

$5,993 COP 20.9M

-40.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.39 IQD 37.2K

$58.0 COP 202.2K

-51.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.81 IQD 40.3K

$32.56 COP 113.4K

-5.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.8 IQD 83.6K

$99.6 COP 347.0K

-35.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$43.33 IQD 56.7K

$109 COP 378.1K

-60.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$244 IQD 319.6K

$482 COP 1.7M

-49.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$176 IQD 229.9K

$379 COP 1.3M

-53.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$575 IQD 752.9K

$837 COP 2.9M

-31.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$341 IQD 446.8K

$723 COP 2.5M

-52.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

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: June 9, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $244 in Al-musayyib and $482 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $37.00 in Al-musayyib vs $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $170 vs $190, 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 16% in total monthly costs ($878 vs $1,017 including rent). Al-musayyib is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,317 in Al-musayyib and $1,525 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: $244 in Al-musayyib versus $482 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $166 in Al-musayyib versus $312 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $878 in Al-musayyib versus $1,017 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 16% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.