Cost of Living Comparison Between Kirkuk and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Kirkuk and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $591 in Kirkuk versus $1,034 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $947 in Kirkuk versus $1,577 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,303 in Kirkuk versus $2,120 in Medellin.

Living in Kirkuk costs roughly 43% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Kirkuk 56% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.74 IQD 4,903

$5.92 COP 21.5K

-36.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$25.51 IQD 33.4K

$32.75 COP 119.1K

-22.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 IQD 7,320

$7.20 COP 26.2K

-22.36%

Cappuccino

$2.26 IQD 2,966

$1.70 COP 6,186

32.94%

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

$0.36 IQD 478

$1.10 COP 3,996

-67.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 IQD 269

$0.72 COP 2,625

-70.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.38 IQD 4,430

$1.67 COP 6,067

102.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 IQD 3,779

$3.10 COP 11.3K

-6.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 IQD 1,506

$1.06 COP 3,837

8.49%

White Bread (500g)

$0.61 IQD 804

$1.25 COP 4,531

-51.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 IQD 2,065

$1.39 COP 5,060

13.67%

Eggs

$1.45 IQD 1,895

$2.26 COP 8,229

-35.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.37 IQD 5,721

$4.33 COP 15.8K

0.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.84 IQD 3,714

$5.84 COP 21.2K

-51.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.15 IQD 14.6K

$8.83 COP 32.1K

26.27%

Apples (1kg)

$0.92 IQD 1,205

$2.24 COP 8,159

-58.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 IQD 1,397

$1.08 COP 3,911

-0.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.03 IQD 1,347

$1.53 COP 5,563

-32.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.59 IQD 777

$1.37 COP 4,987

-56.93%

Potato (1kg)

$0.50 IQD 653

$1.13 COP 4,109

-55.75%

Onion (1kg)

$0.50 IQD 661

$1.12 COP 4,067

-55.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.63 IQD 826

$0.85 COP 3,080

-25.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.33 IQD 434

$0.91 COP 3,305

-63.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.86 IQD 2,438

$2.33 COP 8,477

-20.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 IQD 17.5K

$11.13 COP 40.5K

19.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 IQD 2,393

$1.19 COP 4,342

53.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 IQD 2,763

$2.37 COP 8,617

-10.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 IQD 691

$0.79 COP 2,859

-32.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.69 IQD 41.5K

$41.13 COP 149.6K

-22.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 IQD 3,821

$1.44 COP 5,223

102.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.15 IQD 1,508

$1.91 COP 6,952

-39.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.69 IQD 10.1K

$8.02 COP 29.2K

-4.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.54 IQD 706

$0.94 COP 3,410

-42.55%

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

$20.4K IQD 26.7M

$17.9K COP 65.2M

13.62%

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

$20.2K IQD 26.4M

$26.8K COP 97.4M

-24.75%

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

$53.3 IQD 69.8K

$84.0 COP 305.4K

-36.52%

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

$22.83 IQD 29.9K

$9.60 COP 34.9K

137.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.06 IQD 49.9K

$24.16 COP 87.9K

57.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.76 IQD 19.3K

$25.88 COP 94.1K

-42.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.50 IQD 21.6K

$19.04 COP 69.3K

-13.34%

Cinema Ticket

$7.66 IQD 10.0K

$3.92 COP 14.2K

95.41%

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

$58.0 IQD 75.9K

$306 COP 1.1M

-81.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$788 IQD 1.0M

$5,919 COP 21.5M

-86.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.59 IQD 37.5K

$57.9 COP 210.6K

-50.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.57 IQD 40.0K

$31.82 COP 115.7K

-3.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$23.18 IQD 30.4K

$99.9 COP 363.3K

-76.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$15.28 IQD 20.0K

$107 COP 389.7K

-85.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$73.9 IQD 96.8K

$487 COP 1.8M

-84.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$108 IQD 141.7K

$368 COP 1.3M

-70.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$116 IQD 152.2K

$826 COP 3.0M

-85.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$249 IQD 325.5K

$716 COP 2.6M

-65.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$887 IQD 1.2M

$2,925 COP 10.6M

-69.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$406 IQD 531.3K

$1,407 COP 5.1M

-71.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$636 IQD 832.8K

$546 COP 2.0M

16.56%

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 Kirkuk: April 26, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $73.9 in Kirkuk and $487 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kirkuk pays 17% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $26.00 in Kirkuk vs $33.00 in Medellin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $158 vs $190 per month, with Kirkuk 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

Kirkuk vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kirkuk is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 75% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Kirkuk pays 17% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $73.9 in Kirkuk versus $487 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $58.0 in Kirkuk versus $306 in Medellin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $591 in Kirkuk versus $1,034 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kirkuk but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Kirkuk the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kirkuk is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Kirkuk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 75% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.