Cost of Living Comparison Between Halabjah and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Halabjah and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $776 in Halabjah versus $1,034 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,130 in Halabjah versus $1,577 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,483 in Halabjah versus $2,120 in Medellin.

Living in Halabjah costs roughly 25% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Halabjah 42% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.87 IQD 5,067

$5.92 COP 21.5K

-34.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.30 IQD 25.3K

$32.75 COP 119.1K

-41.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.58 IQD 9,933

$7.20 COP 26.2K

5.28%

Cappuccino

$1.92 IQD 2,521

$1.70 COP 6,186

12.94%

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

$0.40 IQD 519

$1.10 COP 3,996

-63.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 IQD 273

$0.72 COP 2,625

-70.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.73 IQD 3,572

$1.67 COP 6,067

63.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 IQD 3,867

$3.10 COP 11.3K

-4.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.62 IQD 816

$1.06 COP 3,837

-41.51%

White Bread (500g)

$0.79 IQD 1,029

$1.25 COP 4,531

-36.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 IQD 2,090

$1.39 COP 5,060

15.11%

Eggs

$1.57 IQD 2,059

$2.26 COP 8,229

-30.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.62 IQD 6,052

$4.33 COP 15.8K

6.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$1.94 IQD 2,537

$5.84 COP 21.2K

-66.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.69 IQD 12.7K

$8.83 COP 32.1K

9.74%

Apples (1kg)

$0.76 IQD 992

$2.24 COP 8,159

-66.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 IQD 1,524

$1.08 COP 3,911

7.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.75 IQD 976

$1.53 COP 5,563

-50.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.69 IQD 899

$1.37 COP 4,987

-49.64%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 IQD 849

$1.13 COP 4,109

-42.48%

Onion (1kg)

$0.64 IQD 835

$1.12 COP 4,067

-42.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 IQD 836

$0.85 COP 3,080

-24.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.66 IQD 862

$0.91 COP 3,305

-27.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.16 IQD 2,823

$2.33 COP 8,477

-7.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.63 IQD 17.9K

$11.13 COP 40.5K

22.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 IQD 2,355

$1.19 COP 4,342

51.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 IQD 1,315

$2.37 COP 8,617

-57.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 IQD 521

$0.79 COP 2,859

-49.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.29 IQD 41.0K

$41.13 COP 149.6K

-23.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.49 IQD 1,950

$1.44 COP 5,223

3.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 IQD 1,935

$1.91 COP 6,952

-22.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.32 IQD 3,039

$8.02 COP 29.2K

-71.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.53 IQD 690

$0.94 COP 3,410

-43.62%

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

$20.3K IQD 26.6M

$17.9K COP 65.2M

13.29%

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

$9,404 IQD 12.3M

$26.8K COP 97.4M

-64.90%

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

$153 IQD 200.5K

$84.0 COP 305.4K

82.29%

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

$11.56 IQD 15.1K

$9.60 COP 34.9K

20.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.15 IQD 39.5K

$24.16 COP 87.9K

24.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.79 IQD 48.2K

$25.88 COP 94.1K

42.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.49 IQD 21.6K

$19.04 COP 69.3K

-13.39%

Cinema Ticket

$7.55 IQD 9,895

$3.92 COP 14.2K

92.60%

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

$165 IQD 215.8K

$306 COP 1.1M

-46.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,515 IQD 4.6M

$5,919 COP 21.5M

-40.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$7.43 IQD 9,733

$57.9 COP 210.6K

-87.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.36 IQD 39.8K

$31.82 COP 115.7K

-4.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.0 IQD 85.1K

$99.9 COP 363.3K

-34.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$43.98 IQD 57.6K

$107 COP 389.7K

-58.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$241 IQD 315.4K

$487 COP 1.8M

-50.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$178 IQD 232.9K

$368 COP 1.3M

-51.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$585 IQD 765.6K

$826 COP 3.0M

-29.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$341 IQD 447.1K

$716 COP 2.6M

-52.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.67

13.43

-57.78%

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

Last update for Halabjah: April 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $241 in Halabjah and $487 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $19.00 in Halabjah vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $149 vs $190 per month, with Halabjah cheaper across the board.

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

Halabjah vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Halabjah and Medellin differ by about 33% in total monthly costs ($776 vs $1,034 including rent). Halabjah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,164 in Halabjah and $1,550 in Medellin to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $241 in Halabjah versus $487 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Halabjah – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $776 in Halabjah versus $1,034 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Halabjah but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Halabjah 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.

Expats usually find Halabjah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.