Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baghdad and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Baghdad: $1,001 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

49

Cost of Living Index in Baghdad
Learn more

Baghdad Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index

Jump to prices

Baghdad

🇮🇶 Iraq

$1,001

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,001 in Baghdad versus $1,614 in Medellin.

Baghdad $1,001
Medellin $1,614

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,472 in Baghdad versus $2,402 in Medellin.

Baghdad $1,472
Medellin $2,402

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,943 in Baghdad versus $3,190 in Medellin.

Baghdad $1,943
Medellin $3,190

Living in Baghdad costs roughly 38% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Baghdad is 26% below, Medellin is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.27 IQD 6,445

$7.93 COP 25.2K

-46.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.18 IQD 44.1K

$46.13 COP 146.3K

-36.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.77 IQD 10.2K

$9.50 COP 30.1K

-28.74%

Cappuccino

$2.65 IQD 4,003

$3.11 COP 9,866

-14.79%

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

$0.35 IQD 530

$1.83 COP 5,800

-80.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 IQD 302

$1.38 COP 4,360

-85.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.26 IQD 4,927

$3.05 COP 9,672

6.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 IQD 4,868

$5.50 COP 17.4K

-41.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 IQD 1,466

$1.45 COP 4,600

-33.10%

White Bread (500g)

$0.73 IQD 1,097

$2.36 COP 7,496

-69.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.33 IQD 2,003

$1.68 COP 5,328

-20.83%

Eggs

$1.68 IQD 2,534

$2.86 COP 9,077

-41.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.25 IQD 4,912

$10.19 COP 32.3K

-68.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.10 IQD 6,192

$9.53 COP 30.2K

-56.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.41 IQD 18.8K

$14.04 COP 44.5K

-11.61%

Apples (1kg)

$1.01 IQD 1,523

$4.07 COP 12.9K

-75.18%

Banana (1kg)

$0.98 IQD 1,487

$1.50 COP 4,742

-34.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.96 IQD 1,444

$2.17 COP 6,891

-55.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.69 IQD 1,045

$2.31 COP 7,310

-70.13%

Potato (1kg)

$0.56 IQD 842

$1.93 COP 6,113

-70.98%

Onion (1kg)

$0.57 IQD 855

$1.64 COP 5,196

-65.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.53 IQD 806

$1.13 COP 3,571

-53.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.62 IQD 943

$1.25 COP 3,954

-50.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.68 IQD 2,534

$3.99 COP 12.6K

-57.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.61 IQD 17.5K

$13.35 COP 42.3K

-13.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 IQD 2,863

$1.70 COP 5,384

11.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 IQD 2,876

$2.37 COP 7,525

-19.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 IQD 858

$1.21 COP 3,827

-52.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.12 IQD 30.4K

$76.5 COP 242.5K

-73.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.01 IQD 3,038

$1.32 COP 4,179

52.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 IQD 2,029

$2.14 COP 6,774

-37.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.54 IQD 9,887

$8.47 COP 26.8K

-22.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.54 IQD 810

$1.30 COP 4,114

-58.46%

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

$16.3K IQD 24.6M

$28.0K COP 88.7M

-41.74%

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

$16.6K IQD 25.1M

$35.4K COP 112.3M

-53.17%

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

$189 IQD 285.6K

$172 COP 545.6K

9.83%

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

$17.44 IQD 26.4K

$13.37 COP 42.4K

30.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.40 IQD 55.0K

$28.73 COP 91.1K

26.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.49 IQD 62.7K

$45.24 COP 143.5K

-8.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.51 IQD 28.0K

$17.04 COP 54.0K

8.63%

Cinema Ticket

$9.64 IQD 14.6K

$6.28 COP 19.9K

53.50%

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

$145 IQD 218.9K

$770 COP 2.4M

-81.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,046 IQD 4.6M

$9,011 COP 28.6M

-66.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.78 IQD 37.4K

$86.4 COP 274.0K

-71.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.66 IQD 43.3K

$57.1 COP 181.1K

-49.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.8 IQD 90.4K

$137 COP 432.9K

-56.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$41.64 IQD 62.9K

$97.9 COP 310.4K

-57.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$513 IQD 774.7K

$1,055 COP 3.3M

-51.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$322 IQD 485.8K

$616 COP 2.0M

-47.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$881 IQD 1.3M

$1,892 COP 6.0M

-53.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$595 IQD 899.0K

$1,023 COP 3.2M

-41.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,336 IQD 6.6M

$4,059 COP 12.9M

6.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,443 IQD 2.2M

$1,678 COP 5.3M

-14.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$499 IQD 753.9K

$652 COP 2.1M

-23.52%

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 Baghdad: October 12, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baghdad

$322 32.1%

Medellin

$616 38.2% 91.5% $294

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baghdad

$243 24.3%

Medellin

$214 13.3% 11.8% $29

Groceries & Markets

Baghdad

$164 16.4%

Medellin

$295 18.3% 80.1% $131

Eating Out

Baghdad

$111 11.1%

Medellin

$168 10.4% 51.5% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Baghdad

$70 7%

Medellin

$170 10.5% 144% $100

Sport & Entertainment

Baghdad

$61 6.1%

Medellin

$58 3.6% 4.9% $3

Getting Around

Baghdad

$31 3.1%

Medellin

$93 5.8% 200% $62

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $513 in Baghdad and $1,055 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 31% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $29.00 in Baghdad vs $46.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $164 vs $295 per month, with Baghdad cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Baghdad

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

16:57 4:57 PM

08:57 8:57 AM

8 h behind Baghdad

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,216,040 Capital

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 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 October 17, 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

USD to IQD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Baghdad Medellin 12,320 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Baghdad
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

Baghdad vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baghdad wins on cost – living expenses run 61% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Baghdad the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 31% lower in Medellin. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $513 in Baghdad versus $1,055 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Baghdad runs roughly 280% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $145 in Baghdad versus $770 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,001 in Baghdad versus $1,614 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Baghdad but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Baghdad the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Baghdad delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,001 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Baghdad hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Baghdad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.