Cost of Living Comparison Between Lusail and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Lusail and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,146 per month in Lusail vs $1,017 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,535 per month in Lusail vs $1,602 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,924 per month in Lusail vs $2,188 in Medellin, rent included.

Lusail costs about 111% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Lusail sits 60% above the global median, while Medellin is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.75 QAR 24.58

$5.95 COP 20.8K

13.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.5 QAR 198

$33.33 COP 116.3K

63.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.02 QAR 25.54

$7.23 COP 25.2K

-2.90%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.61 QAR 42.26

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.80 QAR 39.33

Cappuccino

$5.14 QAR 18.72

$1.63 COP 5,687

215.34%

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

$0.79 QAR 2.88

$1.09 COP 3,821

-27.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 QAR 1.21

$0.73 COP 2,548

-54.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

Milk (1 liter)

$2.07 QAR 7.53

$1.05 COP 3,662

97.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.55 QAR 5.66

$1.29 COP 4,515

20.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 QAR 5.06

$1.32 COP 4,617

5.30%

Eggs

$2.55 QAR 9.28

$2.27 COP 7,927

12.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.75 QAR 42.78

$4.35 COP 15.2K

170.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.53 QAR 27.42

$5.88 COP 20.5K

28.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.47 QAR 38.13

$8.61 COP 30.0K

21.60%

Apples (1kg)

$2.06 QAR 7.50

$2.25 COP 7,844

-8.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 QAR 5.95

$1.07 COP 3,733

52.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 QAR 5.46

$1.52 COP 5,322

-1.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 QAR 2.05

$1.42 COP 4,964

-60.56%

Potato (1kg)

$0.57 QAR 2.06

$1.17 COP 4,084

-51.28%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 QAR 1.97

$1.17 COP 4,077

-53.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 QAR 4.98

$0.89 COP 3,096

53.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.48 QAR 1.75

$0.90 COP 3,146

-46.67%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$9.83 QAR 35.78

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 QAR 6.69

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 QAR 11.00

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.16 QAR 22.41

$2.25 COP 7,837

173.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.17 QAR 7.91

$1.41 COP 4,912

53.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 QAR 7.85

$1.90 COP 6,634

13.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.69 QAR 49.84

$7.75 COP 27.0K

76.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.59 QAR 2.16

$1.01 COP 3,509

-41.58%

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

$22.2K QAR 80.9K

$17.6K COP 61.4M

26.45%

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

$20.8K QAR 75.6K

$26.5K COP 92.5M

-21.59%

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

$92.6 QAR 337

$83.7 COP 292.1K

10.65%

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

$38.28 QAR 139

$9.45 COP 33.0K

305.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.7 QAR 315

$24.11 COP 84.1K

259.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

Cinema Ticket

$12.62 QAR 45.92

$4.10 COP 14.3K

207.80%

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

$805 QAR 2,931

$312 COP 1.1M

158.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K QAR 43.3K

$5,993 COP 20.9M

98.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.2 QAR 226

$58.0 COP 202.6K

7.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 QAR 200

$32.56 COP 113.6K

68.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 QAR 365

$99.6 COP 347.7K

0.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.7 QAR 323

$109 COP 378.8K

-18.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,061 QAR 7,502

$482 COP 1.7M

327.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,373 QAR 4,998

$379 COP 1.3M

261.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,705 QAR 17.1K

$837 COP 2.9M

461.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,248 QAR 11.8K

$723 COP 2.5M

349.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,398 QAR 5,088

$541 COP 1.9M

158.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.08

13.43

-54.73%

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

Last update for Lusail: June 7, 2026

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,061 in Lusail versus $482 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 158% higher in Lusail, 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 $54.0 in Lusail versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $199 vs $190 – making Medellin the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Lusail vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,146 in Lusail, $1,017 in Medellin – roughly 111% apart. Lusail costs more across the board, with Monthly Utilities & Internet showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,220 per month in Lusail and $1,525 in Medellin. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Medellin, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54.0 in Lusail and $33.00 in Medellin. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 5% more in Lusail, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Medellin, where all-in costs run around $1,017, than in Lusail at $2,146. In Medellin it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lusail it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,017 in Medellin to $2,146 in Lusail. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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