Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Erbil and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Erbil: $958 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

46

Cost of Living Index in Erbil
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Erbil Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Erbil

🇮🇶 Iraq

$958

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $958 per month in Erbil vs $1,639 in Medellin, rent included.

Erbil $958
Medellin $1,639

A couple spends around $1,427 per month in Erbil vs $2,413 in Medellin, rent included.

Erbil $1,427
Medellin $2,413

A family of three spends $1,896 per month in Erbil vs $3,186 in Medellin, rent included.

Erbil $1,896
Medellin $3,186

Erbil is about 42% cheaper than Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Erbil sits 30% below the global median, while Medellin is 20% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.42 IQD 9,704

$8.09 COP 26.1K

-20.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.55 IQD 55.2K

$47.05 COP 151.9K

-22.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.41 IQD 11.2K

$9.50 COP 30.7K

-22.00%

Cappuccino

$3.24 IQD 4,889

$3.01 COP 9,735

7.64%

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

$0.89 IQD 1,341

$1.80 COP 5,809

-50.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 IQD 505

$1.41 COP 4,561

-76.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.75 IQD 8,681

$3.18 COP 10.3K

80.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.92 IQD 5,921

$5.75 COP 18.6K

-31.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 IQD 1,611

$1.51 COP 4,876

-29.14%

White Bread (500g)

$0.67 IQD 1,019

$2.38 COP 7,678

-71.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 IQD 2,303

$1.77 COP 5,720

-14.12%

Eggs

$1.60 IQD 2,413

$2.89 COP 9,333

-44.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.00 IQD 10.6K

$10.19 COP 32.9K

-31.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.38 IQD 6,614

$9.87 COP 31.9K

-55.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.67 IQD 19.1K

$13.99 COP 45.2K

-9.44%

Apples (1kg)

$0.94 IQD 1,415

$3.97 COP 12.8K

-76.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 IQD 1,528

$1.55 COP 5,012

-34.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 IQD 1,544

$2.18 COP 7,048

-53.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.70 IQD 1,064

$2.18 COP 7,051

-67.89%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 IQD 982

$1.96 COP 6,337

-66.84%

Onion (1kg)

$0.63 IQD 952

$1.59 COP 5,132

-60.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 IQD 968

$1.15 COP 3,699

-44.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 IQD 781

$1.24 COP 4,014

-58.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.19 IQD 3,303

$3.96 COP 12.8K

-44.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.83 IQD 16.4K

$13.68 COP 44.2K

-20.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 IQD 2,191

$1.66 COP 5,359

-12.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 IQD 2,712

$2.26 COP 7,291

-20.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.49 IQD 736

$1.17 COP 3,771

-58.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$39.29 IQD 59.4K

$77.4 COP 249.8K

-49.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.67 IQD 2,519

$1.27 COP 4,094

31.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 IQD 2,418

$2.05 COP 6,612

-21.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$5.78 IQD 8,728

$8.55 COP 27.6K

-32.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.57 IQD 867

$1.35 COP 4,349

-57.78%

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

$16.8K IQD 25.4M

$34.1K COP 110.0M

-50.70%

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

$17.1K IQD 25.9M

$34.7K COP 111.9M

-50.59%

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

$111 IQD 168.1K

$170 COP 547.8K

-34.43%

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

$12.24 IQD 18.5K

$13.55 COP 43.8K

-9.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.61 IQD 37.2K

$28.07 COP 90.6K

-12.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.0 IQD 86.1K

$43.70 COP 141.1K

30.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.48 IQD 20.4K

$17.19 COP 55.5K

-21.58%

Cinema Ticket

$9.63 IQD 14.6K

$6.91 COP 22.3K

39.36%

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

$294 IQD 443.8K

$797 COP 2.6M

-63.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,726 IQD 4.1M

$9,112 COP 29.4M

-70.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.71 IQD 40.4K

$84.7 COP 273.5K

-68.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.49 IQD 58.2K

$58.0 COP 187.2K

-33.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.1 IQD 92.3K

$135 COP 435.8K

-54.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.9 IQD 90.5K

$97.9 COP 316.0K

-38.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$426 IQD 643.6K

$1,208 COP 3.9M

-64.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$271 IQD 410.0K

$642 COP 2.1M

-57.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$699 IQD 1.1M

$2,028 COP 6.5M

-65.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$404 IQD 610.4K

$1,012 COP 3.3M

-60.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,017 IQD 1.5M

$4,170 COP 13.5M

-75.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$615 IQD 929.8K

$1,910 COP 6.2M

-67.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$519 IQD 783.7K

$657 COP 2.1M

-21.07%

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 Erbil: October 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Erbil

$271 28.3%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 136% $370

Groceries & Markets

Erbil

$174 18.1%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 71.1% $123

Eating Out

Erbil

$154 16.1%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 10.2% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Erbil

$148 15.5%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 42.7% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Erbil

$84 8.8%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 102% $85

Sport & Entertainment

Erbil

$76 8%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 24.5% $19

Getting Around

Erbil

$51 5.3%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 83.8% $43

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $426 in Erbil versus $1,208 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 27% higher in Medellin, 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 $37 in Erbil versus $47 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $174 vs $297 – making Erbil the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇶 Erbil

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

04:41 4:41 AM

20:41 8:41 PM

8 h behind Erbil

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,713,461

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.93 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 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 November 2, 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 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,605 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

USD to IQD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Erbil Medellin 12,160 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Erbil
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

Erbil vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 71%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,437 per month in Erbil and $2,459 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Erbil, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $426 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Groceries cost about 71% more in Medellin, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $37 in Erbil and $47 in Medellin. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

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

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