Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Al-Rumaitha and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-Rumaitha: $650 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Al-Rumaitha
🇮🇶 Iraq
$650
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,614
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $650 in Al-Rumaitha versus $1,614 in Medellin.

  • Al-Rumaitha $650
  • Medellin $1,614

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,027 in Al-Rumaitha versus $2,402 in Medellin.

  • Al-Rumaitha $1,027
  • Medellin $2,402

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,403 in Al-Rumaitha versus $3,190 in Medellin.

  • Al-Rumaitha $1,403
  • Medellin $3,190

Living in Al-Rumaitha costs roughly 60% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Al-Rumaitha is 52% below, Medellin is 20% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Al-Rumaitha
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.62 IQD 5,465
$7.93 COP 25.2K
-54.35%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$23.11 IQD 34.9K
$46.13 COP 146.3K
-49.90%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.08 IQD 10.7K
$9.50 COP 30.1K
-25.47%
Cappuccino
$2.33 IQD 3,523
$3.11 COP 9,866
-25.08%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.31 IQD 471
$1.83 COP 5,800
-83.06%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.19 IQD 286
$1.38 COP 4,360
-86.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.91 IQD 4,398
$3.05 COP 9,672
-4.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.60 IQD 3,936
$5.50 COP 17.4K
-52.73%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Al-Rumaitha
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.86 IQD 1,298
$1.45 COP 4,600
-40.69%
White Bread (500g)
$0.78 IQD 1,185
$2.36 COP 7,496
-66.95%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.37 IQD 2,063
$1.68 COP 5,328
-18.45%
Eggs
$1.58 IQD 2,392
$2.86 COP 9,077
-44.76%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$4.09 IQD 6,174
$10.19 COP 32.3K
-59.86%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.61 IQD 5,449
$9.53 COP 30.2K
-62.12%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.06 IQD 18.2K
$14.04 COP 44.5K
-14.10%
Apples (1kg)
$0.92 IQD 1,384
$4.07 COP 12.9K
-77.40%
Banana (1kg)
$0.95 IQD 1,428
$1.50 COP 4,742
-36.67%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.84 IQD 1,268
$2.17 COP 6,891
-61.29%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.66 IQD 1,002
$2.31 COP 7,310
-71.43%
Potato (1kg)
$0.56 IQD 844
$1.93 COP 6,113
-70.98%
Onion (1kg)
$0.56 IQD 849
$1.64 COP 5,196
-65.85%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.56 IQD 839
$1.13 COP 3,571
-50.44%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.47 IQD 717
$1.25 COP 3,954
-62.40%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.63 IQD 2,468
$3.99 COP 12.6K
-59.15%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.70 IQD 16.2K
$13.35 COP 42.3K
-19.85%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.40 IQD 2,120
$1.70 COP 5,384
-17.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.78 IQD 2,691
$2.37 COP 7,525
-24.89%
🚌 Getting Around
Al-Rumaitha
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.42 IQD 639
$1.21 COP 3,827
-65.29%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$22.08 IQD 33.4K
$76.5 COP 242.5K
-71.13%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.80 IQD 2,724
$1.32 COP 4,179
36.36%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.34 IQD 2,031
$2.14 COP 6,774
-37.38%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$4.81 IQD 7,268
$8.47 COP 26.8K
-43.21%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.51 IQD 766
$1.30 COP 4,114
-60.77%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$14.9K IQD 22.6M
$28.0K COP 88.7M
-46.62%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$16.9K IQD 25.5M
$35.4K COP 112.3M
-52.34%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Al-Rumaitha
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$88.6 IQD 133.9K
$172 COP 545.6K
-48.52%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.11 IQD 18.3K
$13.37 COP 42.4K
-9.42%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$24.88 IQD 37.6K
$28.73 COP 91.1K
-13.40%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Al-Rumaitha
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.29 IQD 56.3K
$45.24 COP 143.5K
-17.57%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.39 IQD 5,120
$17.04 COP 54.0K
-80.11%
Cinema Ticket
$9.20 IQD 13.9K
$6.28 COP 19.9K
46.50%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Al-Rumaitha
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$128 IQD 193.8K
$770 COP 2.4M
-83.35%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,684 IQD 4.1M
$9,011 COP 28.6M
-70.22%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Al-Rumaitha
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$20.77 IQD 31.4K
$86.4 COP 274.0K
-75.96%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$21.12 IQD 31.9K
$57.1 COP 181.1K
-63.03%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$46.80 IQD 70.7K
$137 COP 432.9K
-65.72%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$30.79 IQD 46.5K
$97.9 COP 310.4K
-68.55%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Al-Rumaitha
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$178 IQD 269.0K
$1,055 COP 3.3M
-83.13%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$128 IQD 194.1K
$616 COP 2.0M
-79.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$373 IQD 564.1K
$1,892 COP 6.0M
-80.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$308 IQD 465.9K
$1,023 COP 3.2M
-69.86%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$629 IQD 951.1K
$4,059 COP 12.9M
-84.49%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$532 IQD 803.7K
$1,678 COP 5.3M
-68.31%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Al-Rumaitha
Medellin
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$652 COP 2.1M
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.33
10.94
-69.56%

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

Last update for Al-Rumaitha: October 10, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Al-Rumaitha
$154
Medellin
$295 91% $140
Accommodation & Living
Al-Rumaitha
$128
Medellin
$616 379% $487
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Al-Rumaitha
$126
Medellin
$214 70.5% $89
Eating Out
Al-Rumaitha
$100
Medellin
$168 68.5% $68
Sport & Entertainment
Al-Rumaitha
$56
Medellin
$58 3.8% $2.1
Clothing & Footwear
Al-Rumaitha
$54
Medellin
$170 216% $116
Getting Around
Al-Rumaitha
$32
Medellin
$93 189% $61

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $178 in Al-Rumaitha and $1,055 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23.00 in Al-Rumaitha vs $46.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $154 vs $295 per month, with Al-Rumaitha cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇶 Al-Rumaitha
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
04:03 4:03 AM
20:03 8:03 PM
8 h behind Al-Rumaitha
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
115,431
2,486,723
💱 Currency
Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د
Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to IQD – Iraqi Dinar Converter

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,699 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Al-Rumaitha Medellin 12,470 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Al-Rumaitha
  • 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-Rumaitha vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Medellin cheaper than Al-Rumaitha?
Al-Rumaitha is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 148% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $975 in Al-Rumaitha and $2,421 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.
What is the rent difference between Al-Rumaitha and Medellin?
Rent for a central apartment: $178 in Al-Rumaitha versus $1,055 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What are total monthly expenses in Al-Rumaitha and in Medellin?
All in, you'll spend $650 per month in Al-Rumaitha versus $1,614 in Medellin – a 148% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
A monthly transit pass in Al-Rumaitha runs roughly 246% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Al-Rumaitha or in Medellin?
At $650 in Al-Rumaitha versus $1,614 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Al-Rumaitha but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Al-Rumaitha the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Al-Rumaitha or Medellin more family-friendly?
For families, Al-Rumaitha is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Al-Rumaitha gentler on the wallet – expenses run 148% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Al-Rumaitha vs other spots: cost of living compared

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