Cost of Living Comparison Between Doha and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Doha and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,003 per month in Doha vs $1,013 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,069 per month in Doha vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,134 per month in Doha vs $2,192 in Medellin, rent included.

Doha costs about 98% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Doha sits 49% above the global median, while Medellin is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.77 QAR 24.64

$5.99 COP 21.3K

13.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.0 QAR 196

$32.86 COP 116.9K

64.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.78 QAR 24.69

$7.09 COP 25.2K

-4.37%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.76 QAR 42.80

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.10 QAR 40.40

Cappuccino

$4.98 QAR 18.14

$1.71 COP 6,093

191.23%

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

$0.84 QAR 3.07

$1.10 COP 3,910

-23.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 QAR 1.13

$0.78 COP 2,771

-60.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,976

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 10.9K

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 QAR 7.44

$1.09 COP 3,892

87.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 QAR 5.92

$1.26 COP 4,492

29.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.15 QAR 7.82

$1.38 COP 4,905

55.80%

Eggs

$2.62 QAR 9.55

$2.19 COP 7,799

19.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.34 QAR 41.26

$4.40 COP 15.7K

157.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.55 QAR 27.48

$5.63 COP 20.0K

34.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.43 QAR 37.97

$8.89 COP 31.6K

17.32%

Apples (1kg)

$1.98 QAR 7.21

$2.34 COP 8,319

-15.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 QAR 5.73

$1.06 COP 3,764

48.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.59 QAR 5.77

$1.50 COP 5,355

6.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.45 QAR 5.26

$1.38 COP 4,906

5.07%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 QAR 3.57

$1.15 COP 4,097

-14.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.07 QAR 3.88

$1.16 COP 4,141

-7.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 QAR 5.03

$0.89 COP 3,170

55.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.46 QAR 1.66

$0.84 COP 2,986

-45.24%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$8.27 QAR 30.10

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 QAR 6.71

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 QAR 10.92

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.47 QAR 23.53

$2.28 COP 8,116

183.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 37.9K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,268

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,793

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 QAR 1.91

$0.86 COP 3,045

-38.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.91 QAR 120

$41.40 COP 147.3K

-20.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.23 QAR 8.11

$1.47 COP 5,245

51.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 QAR 8.07

$1.96 COP 6,984

13.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.60 QAR 49.50

$7.74 COP 27.5K

75.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.59 QAR 2.16

$0.95 COP 3,397

-37.89%

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

$22.2K QAR 80.7K

$18.1K COP 64.5M

22.32%

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

$20.3K QAR 73.9K

$26.5K COP 94.2M

-23.35%

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

$93.5 QAR 340

$82.3 COP 292.7K

13.65%

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

$37.48 QAR 136

$9.50 COP 33.8K

294.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 QAR 313

$24.23 COP 86.2K

255.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$120 QAR 436

$25.89 COP 92.1K

362.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$32.38 QAR 118

$19.00 COP 67.6K

70.42%

Cinema Ticket

$12.20 QAR 44.41

$3.93 COP 14.0K

210.43%

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

$794 QAR 2,891

$309 COP 1.1M

156.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.7K QAR 42.7K

$5,965 COP 21.2M

96.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.3 QAR 227

$58.7 COP 208.7K

6.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.6 QAR 199

$32.35 COP 115.1K

68.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.4 QAR 362

$103 COP 365.1K

-3.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.2 QAR 328

$108 COP 385.8K

-16.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,609 QAR 5,857

$476 COP 1.7M

237.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,094 QAR 3,983

$379 COP 1.3M

188.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,926 QAR 10.7K

$838 COP 3.0M

249.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,079 QAR 7,567

$724 COP 2.6M

187.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,471 QAR 16.3K

$2,791 COP 9.9M

60.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,709 QAR 9,860

$1,211 COP 4.3M

123.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,111 QAR 11.3K

$512 COP 1.8M

507.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.08

13.43

-54.73%

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

Last update for Doha: May 31, 2026

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,609 in Doha versus $476 in Medellin. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 508% higher in Doha, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54.0 in Doha versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $208 vs $188 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Doha vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Doha is pricier by about 98%, and the gap shows up most in Sport & Entertainment. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,004 per month in Doha and $1,519 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 26% less in Medellin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $794 per month in Doha and $309 in Medellin. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,013, than in Doha at $2,003. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Doha it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Medellin – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Medellin. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Doha makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.