Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between As Samawah and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in As Samawah: $652 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

31

Cost of Living Index in As Samawah
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As Samawah Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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As Samawah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$652

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $652 in As Samawah versus $1,639 in Medellin.

As Samawah $652
Medellin $1,639

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,045 in As Samawah versus $2,413 in Medellin.

As Samawah $1,045
Medellin $2,413

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,438 in As Samawah versus $3,186 in Medellin.

As Samawah $1,438
Medellin $3,186

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

The two cities straddle the global median: As Samawah is 52% below, Medellin is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.50 IQD 6,804

$8.09 COP 26.1K

-44.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$26.58 IQD 40.2K

$47.05 COP 151.9K

-43.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.68 IQD 10.1K

$9.50 COP 30.7K

-29.68%

Cappuccino

$2.74 IQD 4,143

$3.01 COP 9,734

-8.97%

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

$0.32 IQD 483

$1.80 COP 5,809

-82.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 IQD 295

$1.41 COP 4,560

-85.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.27 IQD 4,940

$3.18 COP 10.3K

2.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 IQD 5,011

$5.75 COP 18.6K

-42.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 IQD 1,458

$1.51 COP 4,875

-35.76%

White Bread (500g)

$0.69 IQD 1,045

$2.38 COP 7,677

-71.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 IQD 2,066

$1.77 COP 5,719

-22.60%

Eggs

$1.62 IQD 2,449

$2.89 COP 9,332

-43.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$1.30 IQD 1,959

$10.19 COP 32.9K

-87.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.22 IQD 6,378

$9.87 COP 31.9K

-57.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.70 IQD 17.7K

$13.99 COP 45.2K

-16.37%

Apples (1kg)

$1.04 IQD 1,566

$3.97 COP 12.8K

-73.80%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 IQD 1,469

$1.55 COP 5,011

-37.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.83 IQD 1,258

$2.18 COP 7,047

-61.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.40 IQD 608

$2.18 COP 7,050

-81.65%

Potato (1kg)

$0.48 IQD 721

$1.96 COP 6,336

-75.51%

Onion (1kg)

$0.57 IQD 857

$1.59 COP 5,131

-64.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.60 IQD 901

$1.15 COP 3,698

-47.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 IQD 945

$1.24 COP 4,014

-49.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.63 IQD 2,468

$3.96 COP 12.8K

-58.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.66 IQD 10.1K

$13.68 COP 44.2K

-51.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 IQD 2,928

$1.66 COP 5,359

16.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 IQD 2,853

$2.26 COP 7,290

-16.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 IQD 429

$1.17 COP 3,770

-76.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.11 IQD 30.4K

$77.4 COP 249.8K

-74.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.93 IQD 2,918

$1.27 COP 4,094

51.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 IQD 2,054

$2.05 COP 6,611

-33.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.62 IQD 3,965

$8.55 COP 27.6K

-69.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.58 IQD 876

$1.35 COP 4,348

-57.04%

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

$16.5K IQD 24.9M

$34.1K COP 110.0M

-51.68%

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

$16.6K IQD 25.1M

$34.7K COP 111.9M

-52.06%

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

$69.6 IQD 105.1K

$170 COP 547.7K

-58.99%

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

$16.47 IQD 24.9K

$13.55 COP 43.7K

21.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.58 IQD 25.0K

$28.07 COP 90.6K

-40.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.44 IQD 56.6K

$43.70 COP 141.1K

-14.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.44 IQD 24.8K

$17.19 COP 55.5K

-4.36%

Cinema Ticket

$7.96 IQD 12.0K

$6.91 COP 22.3K

15.20%

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

$50.4 IQD 76.1K

$797 COP 2.6M

-93.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,329 IQD 2.0M

$9,112 COP 29.4M

-85.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.12 IQD 38.0K

$84.7 COP 273.5K

-70.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.17 IQD 51.6K

$58.0 COP 187.1K

-41.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$58.9 IQD 89.1K

$135 COP 435.7K

-56.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$42.42 IQD 64.1K

$97.9 COP 316.0K

-56.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$207 IQD 313.0K

$1,208 COP 3.9M

-82.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$135 IQD 204.1K

$642 COP 2.1M

-78.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$171 IQD 258.1K

$2,028 COP 6.5M

-91.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$290 IQD 438.7K

$1,012 COP 3.3M

-71.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$735 IQD 1.1M

$4,170 COP 13.5M

-82.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$446 IQD 673.5K

$1,910 COP 6.2M

-76.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

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 As Samawah: October 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

As Samawah

$144 22.1%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 106% $153

Accommodation & Living

As Samawah

$135 20.7%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 375% $506

Eating Out

As Samawah

$114 17.5%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 48.8% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

As Samawah

$103 15.8%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 106% $109

Clothing & Footwear

As Samawah

$72 11.1%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 134% $97

Sport & Entertainment

As Samawah

$53 8.2%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 7.8% $4.2

Getting Around

As Samawah

$30 4.6%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 212% $64

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $207 in As Samawah and $1,208 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $27 in As Samawah vs $47 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $144 vs $297 per month, with As Samawah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 As Samawah

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

02:59 2:59 AM

18:59 6:59 PM

8 h behind As Samawah

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

250,000

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.9 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 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 = 1,694 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.9 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,619 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

USD to IQD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

As Samawah Medellin 12,490 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

As Samawah
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

As Samawah vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

As Samawah is about 60% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $977 in As Samawah and $2,459 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: $207 in As Samawah versus $1,208 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in As Samawah runs roughly 74% less than in Medellin. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $50 in As Samawah versus $797 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $652 in As Samawah versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in As Samawah but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes As Samawah 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 As Samawah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 60% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.