Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Az Zubayr and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Az Zubayr: $656 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.

Az Zubayr, Iraq
Medellin, Colombia
Az Zubayr
🇮🇶 Iraq
$656
/mo nomad
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $656 in Az Zubayr versus $1,639 in Medellin.

  • Az Zubayr $656
  • Medellin $1,639

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,021 in Az Zubayr versus $2,413 in Medellin.

  • Az Zubayr $1,021
  • Medellin $2,413

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,387 in Az Zubayr versus $3,186 in Medellin.

  • Az Zubayr $1,387
  • Medellin $3,186

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

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Az Zubayr
Medellin
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.37 IQD 6,602
$8.09 COP 26.1K
-45.98%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$19.52 IQD 29.5K
$47.05 COP 151.7K
-58.51%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.58 IQD 8,436
$9.50 COP 30.6K
-41.26%
Cappuccino
$2.65 IQD 4,001
$3.01 COP 9,722
-11.96%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.33 IQD 497
$1.80 COP 5,801
-81.67%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.20 IQD 297
$1.41 COP 4,554
-85.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.38 IQD 5,107
$3.18 COP 10.2K
6.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.28 IQD 3,447
$5.75 COP 18.5K
-60.35%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Az Zubayr
Medellin
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.00 IQD 1,513
$1.51 COP 4,869
-33.77%
White Bread (500g)
$0.76 IQD 1,152
$2.38 COP 7,667
-68.07%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.59 IQD 2,399
$1.77 COP 5,712
-10.17%
Eggs
$1.46 IQD 2,203
$2.89 COP 9,320
-49.48%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$4.38 IQD 6,621
$10.19 COP 32.9K
-57.02%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.43 IQD 5,189
$9.87 COP 31.8K
-65.25%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.09 IQD 18.3K
$13.99 COP 45.1K
-13.58%
Apples (1kg)
$1.07 IQD 1,623
$3.97 COP 12.8K
-73.05%
Banana (1kg)
$0.99 IQD 1,502
$1.55 COP 5,005
-36.13%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.03 IQD 1,561
$2.18 COP 7,039
-52.75%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.66 IQD 994
$2.18 COP 7,041
-69.72%
Potato (1kg)
$0.57 IQD 855
$1.96 COP 6,328
-70.92%
Onion (1kg)
$0.67 IQD 1,012
$1.59 COP 5,125
-57.86%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.56 IQD 852
$1.15 COP 3,694
-51.30%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.44 IQD 671
$1.24 COP 4,009
-64.52%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.47 IQD 2,225
$3.96 COP 12.8K
-62.88%
Wine (Bottle)
$11.27 IQD 17.0K
$13.68 COP 44.1K
-17.62%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.42 IQD 2,149
$1.66 COP 5,352
-14.46%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.62 IQD 2,450
$2.26 COP 7,281
-28.32%
🚌 Getting Around
Az Zubayr
Medellin
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.32 IQD 479
$1.17 COP 3,766
-72.65%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$77.4 COP 249.5K
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.68 IQD 2,543
$1.27 COP 4,089
32.28%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.12 IQD 1,698
$2.05 COP 6,603
-45.37%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$5.39 IQD 8,146
$8.55 COP 27.6K
-36.96%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.53 IQD 803
$1.35 COP 4,343
-60.74%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$15.9K IQD 24.0M
$34.1K COP 109.8M
-53.42%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$16.5K IQD 24.9M
$34.7K COP 111.8M
-52.50%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Az Zubayr
Medellin
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$94.9 IQD 143.4K
$170 COP 547.0K
-44.07%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.70 IQD 17.7K
$13.55 COP 43.7K
-13.65%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.28 IQD 41.2K
$28.07 COP 90.5K
-2.81%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Az Zubayr
Medellin
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$39.31 IQD 59.4K
$43.70 COP 140.9K
-10.05%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$17.19 COP 55.4K
-
Cinema Ticket
$7.83 IQD 11.8K
$6.91 COP 22.3K
13.31%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Az Zubayr
Medellin
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$137 IQD 206.7K
$797 COP 2.6M
-82.83%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$2,772 IQD 4.2M
$9,112 COP 29.4M
-69.58%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Az Zubayr
Medellin
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$18.27 IQD 27.6K
$84.7 COP 273.2K
-78.43%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$21.75 IQD 32.9K
$58.0 COP 186.9K
-62.47%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$53.7 IQD 81.2K
$135 COP 435.2K
-60.20%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$39.29 IQD 59.4K
$97.9 COP 315.6K
-59.85%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Az Zubayr
Medellin
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$200 IQD 302.7K
$1,208 COP 3.9M
-83.41%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$133 IQD 200.3K
$642 COP 2.1M
-79.34%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$418 IQD 631.5K
$2,028 COP 6.5M
-79.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$315 IQD 476.0K
$1,012 COP 3.3M
-68.86%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$833 IQD 1.3M
$4,170 COP 13.4M
-80.03%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$479 IQD 723.6K
$1,910 COP 6.2M
-74.93%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Az Zubayr
Medellin
Difference
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 Az Zubayr: 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
Az Zubayr
$159
Medellin
$297 87.2% $138
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Az Zubayr
$134
Medellin
$211 57.8% $77
Accommodation & Living
Az Zubayr
$133
Medellin
$642 384% $509
Eating Out
Az Zubayr
$107
Medellin
$170 58.4% $63
Clothing & Footwear
Az Zubayr
$60
Medellin
$169 182% $109
Sport & Entertainment
Az Zubayr
$55
Medellin
$58 4.7% $2.6
Getting Around
Az Zubayr
$8.6 *
Medellin
$94 992% $85

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $200 in Az Zubayr and $1,208 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $20 in Az Zubayr vs $47 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $159 vs $297 per month, with Az Zubayr cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇮🇶 Az Zubayr
🇨🇴 Medellin
🕒 Local time
01:20 1:20 AM
17:20 5:20 PM
8 h behind Az Zubayr
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
370,000
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 November 1, 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 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Az Zubayr Medellin 12,740 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Az Zubayr
  • 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
Az Zubayr vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Az Zubayr and in Medellin?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $656 in Az Zubayr and $1,639 in Medellin, so Az Zubayr is about 60% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Az Zubayr compared to Medellin?
You’d need roughly $983 in Az Zubayr 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Az Zubayr and in Medellin?
Rent for a central apartment: $200 in Az Zubayr versus $1,208 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 87% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more expensive overall: Az Zubayr or Medellin?
All in, you’ll spend $656 per month in Az Zubayr versus $1,639 in Medellin – Az Zubayr is about 60% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
At $656 in Az Zubayr versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Az Zubayr but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Az Zubayr the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Az Zubayr and Medellin?
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.

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