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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,944 per month in Doha vs $1,031 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,080 per month in Doha vs $1,599 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,216 per month in Doha vs $2,167 in Medellin, rent included.

Doha costs about 89% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Doha sits 46% above the global median, while Medellin is 23% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.76 QAR 24.61

$6.16 COP 20.1K

9.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.0 QAR 197

$32.60 COP 106.1K

65.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.96 QAR 25.35

$7.34 COP 23.9K

-5.18%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.62 QAR 42.29

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.90 QAR 39.66

Cappuccino

$4.97 QAR 18.10

$1.72 COP 5,599

188.95%

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

$0.86 QAR 3.13

$1.05 COP 3,420

-18.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 QAR 1.20

$0.77 COP 2,515

-57.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,487

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

Milk (1 liter)

$2.04 QAR 7.44

$1.05 COP 3,423

94.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.64 QAR 5.95

$1.30 COP 4,236

26.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 QAR 8.01

$1.40 COP 4,544

57.14%

Eggs

$2.67 QAR 9.70

$2.16 COP 7,046

23.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.57 QAR 42.12

$4.39 COP 14.3K

163.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 QAR 28.80

$5.88 COP 19.1K

34.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.73 QAR 39.04

$8.64 COP 28.1K

24.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.03 QAR 7.40

$2.28 COP 7,425

-10.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 QAR 5.91

$1.11 COP 3,603

45.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 QAR 5.56

$1.53 COP 4,982

Tomato (1kg)

$1.39 QAR 5.06

$1.35 COP 4,410

2.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.03 QAR 3.77

$1.13 COP 3,674

-8.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 QAR 4.07

$1.13 COP 3,692

-0.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.34 QAR 4.86

$0.85 COP 2,753

57.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 QAR 1.75

$0.91 COP 2,975

-47.25%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$10.16 QAR 37.00

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 QAR 6.74

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 QAR 10.89

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.35 QAR 23.12

$2.34 COP 7,629

171.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.57 QAR 2.08

$0.84 COP 2,727

-32.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.81 QAR 119

$40.57 COP 132.1K

-19.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.24 QAR 8.15

$1.42 COP 4,623

57.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 QAR 7.77

$1.92 COP 6,235

10.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.68 QAR 49.81

$7.66 COP 24.9K

78.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.59 QAR 2.15

$0.99 COP 3,223

-40.40%

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

$22.2K QAR 80.9K

$18.0K COP 58.7M

23.23%

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

$20.4K QAR 74.3K

$26.6K COP 86.7M

-23.32%

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

$93.4 QAR 340

$80.8 COP 263.1K

15.59%

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

$37.55 QAR 137

$9.95 COP 32.4K

277.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.7 QAR 323

$24.18 COP 78.7K

266.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$120 QAR 435

$25.08 COP 81.6K

376.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.64 QAR 115

$19.15 COP 62.3K

65.22%

Cinema Ticket

$12.46 QAR 45.34

$3.98 COP 13.0K

213.07%

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

$802 QAR 2,918

$305 COP 993.4K

162.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.6K QAR 42.3K

$6,059 COP 19.7M

91.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.1 QAR 223

$58.1 COP 189.2K

5.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 QAR 200

$32.20 COP 104.8K

70.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 QAR 365

$101 COP 327.9K

-0.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.2 QAR 328

$108 COP 350.8K

-16.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,638 QAR 5,963

$477 COP 1.6M

243.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,064 QAR 3,872

$376 COP 1.2M

182.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,901 QAR 10.6K

$845 COP 2.7M

243.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,098 QAR 7,636

$730 COP 2.4M

187.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,212 QAR 15.3K

$3,215 COP 10.5M

30.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,509 QAR 9,134

$1,372 COP 4.5M

82.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,128 QAR 11.4K

$617 COP 2.0M

407.14%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,638 in Doha versus $477 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 407% 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: $212 vs $193 – 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 89%, 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 $2,916 per month in Doha and $1,546 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 24% less in Medellin. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $802 per month in Doha and $305 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 $1,031, than in Doha at $1,944. 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.