Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ibb and Medellin

For one person, living is cheaper in Ibb: $876 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

42

Cost of Living Index in Ibb
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Ibb Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Ibb

🇾🇪 Yemen

$876

/mo nomad

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $876 in Ibb versus $1,639 in Medellin.

Ibb $876
Medellin $1,639

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,454 in Ibb versus $2,413 in Medellin.

Ibb $1,454
Medellin $2,413

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,033 in Ibb versus $3,186 in Medellin.

Ibb $2,033
Medellin $3,186

Living in Ibb costs roughly 47% less than in Medellin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ibb is 36% below, Medellin is 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.44 YER 1,519

$8.09 COP 26.1K

-20.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.83 YER 4,442

$47.05 COP 151.7K

-59.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.28 YER 2,189

$9.50 COP 30.6K

-2.32%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.03 YER 480

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 YER 585

Cappuccino

$3.78 YER 891

$3.01 COP 9,722

25.58%

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

$1.12 YER 265

$1.80 COP 5,801

-37.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.46 YER 108

$1.41 COP 4,554

-67.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.5K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 YER 463

$1.51 COP 4,869

29.80%

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 YER 231

$2.38 COP 7,667

-58.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.06 YER 485

$1.77 COP 5,712

16.38%

Eggs

$3.69 YER 871

$2.89 COP 9,320

27.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.94 YER 3,287

$10.19 COP 32.9K

36.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.14 YER 1,921

$9.87 COP 31.8K

-17.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 YER 4,493

$13.99 COP 45.1K

36.17%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 YER 778

$3.97 COP 12.8K

-16.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.00 YER 236

$1.55 COP 5,005

-35.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 YER 508

$2.18 COP 7,039

-1.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.72 YER 405

$2.18 COP 7,041

-21.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.54 YER 362

$1.96 COP 6,328

-21.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.37 YER 322

$1.59 COP 5,125

-13.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.88 YER 207

$1.15 COP 3,694

-23.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 YER 148

$1.24 COP 4,009

-49.19%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.51 YER 591

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 YER 439

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 YER 596

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.93 YER 927

$3.96 COP 12.8K

-0.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.1K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,352

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,281

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,766

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.13 YER 503

$1.27 COP 4,089

67.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.69 YER 636

$2.05 COP 6,603

31.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.43 YER 1,753

$8.55 COP 27.6K

-13.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 YER 487

$1.35 COP 4,343

52.59%

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

$16.8K YER 4.0M

$34.1K COP 109.8M

-50.64%

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

$34.8K YER 8.2M

$34.7K COP 111.8M

0.31%

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

$62.4 YER 14.7K

$170 COP 547.0K

-63.24%

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

$15.86 YER 3,741

$13.55 COP 43.7K

17.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.91 YER 7,054

$28.07 COP 90.5K

6.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 140.9K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.05 YER 1,426

$6.91 COP 22.3K

-12.45%

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

$24.36 YER 5,747

$797 COP 2.6M

-96.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,204 YER 519.9K

$9,112 COP 29.4M

-75.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.62 YER 6,986

$84.7 COP 273.2K

-65.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$121 YER 28.4K

$58.0 COP 186.9K

108.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$48.16 YER 11.4K

$135 COP 435.2K

-64.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$40.48 YER 9,549

$97.9 COP 315.6K

-58.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$319 YER 75.2K

$1,208 COP 3.9M

-73.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$252 YER 59.4K

$642 COP 2.1M

-60.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$748 YER 176.4K

$2,028 COP 6.5M

-63.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$640 YER 150.9K

$1,012 COP 3.3M

-36.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.4M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$361 YER 85.1K

$657 COP 2.1M

-45.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.25

10.94

2.83%

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

Last update for Ibb: 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

Ibb

$252 28.7%

Medellin

$642 39.1% 155% $390

Groceries & Markets

Ibb

$250 28.6%

Medellin

$297 18.1% 18.7% $47

Eating Out

Ibb

$131 15%

Medellin

$170 10.4% 29.5% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ibb

$108 12.3%

Medellin

$211 12.9% 95.4% $103

Clothing & Footwear

Ibb

$107 12.3%

Medellin

$169 10.3% 57.2% $61

Getting Around

Ibb

$16 * 1.8%

Medellin

$94 5.7% 500% $78

Sport & Entertainment

Ibb

$12 * 1.4%

Medellin

$58 3.5% 376% $45

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $319 in Ibb and $1,208 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 82% 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: $19 in Ibb vs $47 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $297 per month, with Ibb cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇾🇪 Ibb

🇨🇴 Medellin

🕒 Local time

13:34 1:34 PM

05:34 5:34 AM

8 h behind Ibb

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

208,844

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Yemeni Rial YER ﷼

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 YER = 4.24 USD

1,000 YER = 3.8 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, USD, EUR to YER – Yemeni Rial Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇾🇪 Yemeni Rial (﷼)

Yemeni Rial exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 236 YER (1,000 YER = 4.24 USD). 1 EUR = 263 YER (1,000 YER = 3.8 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

USD to YER in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Ibb Medellin 13,000 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Ibb
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

Ibb vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ibb is about 47% cheaper overall, especially in transport, clothing, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 45% lower in Ibb. 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: $319 in Ibb versus $1,208 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 19% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $876 per month in Ibb versus $1,639 in Medellin – Ibb is about 47% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $876 in Ibb versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ibb but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Ibb 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.

It comes down to priorities – Ibb wins on affordability, Medellin on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.