Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Duhok and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Duhok: $608 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

29

Cost of Living Index in Duhok
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Duhok Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Duhok

🇮🇶 Iraq

$608

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $608 in Duhok versus $1,625 in Medellin.

Duhok $608
Medellin $1,625

Estimated couple costs with rent: $978 in Duhok versus $2,412 in Medellin.

Duhok $978
Medellin $2,412

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,349 in Duhok versus $3,199 in Medellin.

Duhok $1,349
Medellin $3,199

Living in Duhok costs roughly 63% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Duhok is 55% below, Medellin is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.38 IQD 5,111

$8.30 COP 26.3K

-59.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$16.59 IQD 25.1K

$46.91 COP 148.7K

-64.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.40 IQD 11.2K

$9.24 COP 29.3K

-19.91%

Cappuccino

$2.43 IQD 3,665

$3.05 COP 9,676

-20.33%

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

$0.32 IQD 481

$1.80 COP 5,707

-82.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.19 IQD 294

$1.38 COP 4,382

-86.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 IQD 2,550

$3.24 COP 10.3K

-47.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 IQD 2,932

$5.56 COP 17.6K

-65.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 IQD 1,680

$1.50 COP 4,760

-26.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.67 IQD 1,016

$2.37 COP 7,508

-71.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.48 IQD 2,232

$1.70 COP 5,377

-12.94%

Eggs

$1.58 IQD 2,391

$2.96 COP 9,379

-46.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.87 IQD 7,359

$10.22 COP 32.4K

-52.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.96 IQD 4,478

$9.74 COP 30.9K

-69.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.95 IQD 16.6K

$13.90 COP 44.1K

-21.22%

Apples (1kg)

$0.99 IQD 1,489

$4.13 COP 13.1K

-76.03%

Banana (1kg)

$0.97 IQD 1,461

$1.53 COP 4,839

-36.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.75 IQD 1,136

$2.22 COP 7,052

-66.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.63 IQD 959

$2.27 COP 7,194

-72.25%

Potato (1kg)

$0.61 IQD 919

$1.99 COP 6,311

-69.35%

Onion (1kg)

$0.62 IQD 940

$1.67 COP 5,285

-62.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 IQD 926

$1.18 COP 3,742

-48.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 IQD 787

$1.24 COP 3,919

-58.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.73 IQD 2,609

$3.87 COP 12.3K

-55.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.97 IQD 16.6K

$13.78 COP 43.7K

-20.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 IQD 2,121

$1.66 COP 5,256

-15.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 IQD 2,700

$2.40 COP 7,615

-25.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 IQD 459

$1.24 COP 3,944

-75.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.64 IQD 23.6K

$78.2 COP 248.0K

-80.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.60 IQD 2,420

$1.28 COP 4,044

25.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.29 IQD 1,945

$2.15 COP 6,803

-40.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.52 IQD 8,343

$8.37 COP 26.5K

-34.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.54 IQD 819

$1.35 COP 4,288

-60.00%

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

$16.6K IQD 25.1M

$34.8K COP 110.2M

-52.20%

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

$17.1K IQD 25.9M

$34.7K COP 110.0M

-50.67%

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

$87.3 IQD 131.8K

$167 COP 528.4K

-47.64%

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

$8.86 IQD 13.4K

$13.62 COP 43.2K

-34.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.83 IQD 36.0K

$29.12 COP 92.3K

-18.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.1 IQD 75.7K

$45.09 COP 143.0K

11.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.55 IQD 40.1K

$17.18 COP 54.5K

54.54%

Cinema Ticket

$7.52 IQD 11.4K

$6.97 COP 22.1K

7.89%

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

$106 IQD 160.6K

$790 COP 2.5M

-86.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,727 IQD 4.1M

$9,041 COP 28.7M

-69.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$10.02 IQD 15.1K

$87.8 COP 278.4K

-88.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$20.32 IQD 30.7K

$58.2 COP 184.4K

-65.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$30.27 IQD 45.7K

$139 COP 440.7K

-78.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$19.60 IQD 29.6K

$98.9 COP 313.5K

-80.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$157 IQD 237.0K

$1,028 COP 3.3M

-84.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$116 IQD 174.7K

$620 COP 2.0M

-81.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$329 IQD 496.7K

$1,881 COP 6.0M

-82.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$324 IQD 489.1K

$1,008 COP 3.2M

-67.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$445 IQD 671.8K

$3,988 COP 12.6M

-88.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$362 IQD 547.1K

$1,702 COP 5.4M

-78.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$415 IQD 627.4K

$663 COP 2.1M

-37.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.53

10.94

-76.87%

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

Last update for Duhok: October 18, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Duhok

$154 25.3%

Medellin

$298 18.3% 94% $144

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Duhok

$120 19.7%

Medellin

$209 12.9% 74.6% $89

Accommodation & Living

Duhok

$116 19%

Medellin

$619 38.1% 436% $504

Eating Out

Duhok

$93 15.3%

Medellin

$171 10.5% 84.2% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Duhok

$65 10.7%

Medellin

$59 3.6% 9.4% $6.1

Clothing & Footwear

Duhok

$36 5.9%

Medellin

$173 10.6% 378% $137

Getting Around

Duhok

$25 4.1%

Medellin

$95 5.9% 282% $70

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $157 in Duhok and $1,028 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 60% 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: $17.00 in Duhok vs $47.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $154 vs $298 per month, with Duhok cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Duhok

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

00:34 12:34 AM

16:34 4:34 PM

8 h behind Duhok

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,900

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 23, 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 23, 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

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Highest

Between locations

Duhok Medellin 12,050 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Duhok
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

Duhok vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Duhok and Medellin differ by about 167% in total monthly costs ($608 vs $1,625 including rent). Duhok is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 60% 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: $157 in Duhok versus $1,028 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $106 in Duhok versus $790 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 94% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $608 in Duhok versus $1,625 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Duhok but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Duhok 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.

Safety-wise, Duhok and Medellin are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Duhok gentler on the wallet – expenses run 167% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.