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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,139 per month in Lusail vs $1,003 in Medellin, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,536 per month in Lusail vs $1,573 in Medellin, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,933 per month in Lusail vs $2,143 in Medellin, rent included.

Lusail costs about 113% more than Medellin, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Lusail sits 61% above the global median, while Medellin is 25% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.92 QAR 25.17

$5.91 COP 18.6K

17.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.6 QAR 202

$32.96 COP 103.8K

68.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.00 QAR 25.49

$7.43 COP 23.4K

-5.79%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.62 QAR 42.29

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.06 QAR 40.26

Cappuccino

$5.04 QAR 18.33

$1.65 COP 5,207

205.45%

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

$0.79 QAR 2.86

$1.10 COP 3,468

-28.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 QAR 1.12

$0.78 COP 2,458

-60.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,412

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

Milk (1 liter)

$2.06 QAR 7.49

$1.10 COP 3,474

87.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 QAR 5.92

$1.26 COP 3,962

29.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 QAR 5.03

$1.38 COP 4,349

Eggs

$2.58 QAR 9.41

$2.18 COP 6,858

18.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.63 QAR 42.35

$4.49 COP 14.1K

159.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.50 QAR 27.30

$5.79 COP 18.2K

29.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.71 QAR 38.99

$8.97 COP 28.2K

19.40%

Apples (1kg)

$1.97 QAR 7.16

$2.32 COP 7,308

-15.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 QAR 5.98

$1.06 COP 3,352

54.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 QAR 5.44

$1.52 COP 4,774

-1.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 QAR 2.04

$1.36 COP 4,270

-58.82%

Potato (1kg)

$0.53 QAR 1.94

$1.13 COP 3,552

-53.10%

Onion (1kg)

$0.54 QAR 1.96

$1.17 COP 3,689

-53.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 QAR 4.99

$0.90 COP 2,838

52.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 QAR 1.64

$0.90 COP 2,823

-50.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$10.28 QAR 37.41

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 QAR 6.77

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 QAR 11.12

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.28 QAR 22.85

$2.23 COP 7,034

181.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 COP 38.2K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 3,743

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 7,815

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 COP 2,687

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 131.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.19 QAR 7.96

$1.42 COP 4,459

54.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 QAR 7.75

$1.95 COP 6,141

9.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.89 QAR 50.6

$7.89 COP 24.8K

76.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.60 QAR 2.18

$0.99 COP 3,118

-39.39%

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

$22.3K QAR 81.3K

$17.6K COP 55.4M

26.94%

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

$20.8K QAR 75.7K

$26.8K COP 84.4M

-22.40%

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

$91.0 QAR 331

$83.0 COP 261.4K

9.60%

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

$37.87 QAR 138

$9.70 COP 30.5K

290.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.3 QAR 322

$23.52 COP 74.1K

275.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.26 COP 79.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 COP 60.1K

Cinema Ticket

$12.16 QAR 44.27

$3.95 COP 12.4K

207.85%

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

$807 QAR 2,939

$316 COP 994.2K

155.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K QAR 43.6K

$5,975 COP 18.8M

100.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.2 QAR 230

$60.0 COP 188.9K

5.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 QAR 204

$31.82 COP 100.2K

76.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 QAR 371

$102 COP 320.1K

0.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.1 QAR 324

$107 COP 338.3K

-17.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,056 QAR 7,485

$475 COP 1.5M

332.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,381 QAR 5,027

$374 COP 1.2M

269.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,638 QAR 16.9K

$849 COP 2.7M

446.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,302 QAR 12.0K

$719 COP 2.3M

358.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,265 COP 10.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 COP 4.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,382 QAR 5,032

$624 COP 2.0M

121.39%

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: July 28, 2026

Last update for Medellin: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,056 in Lusail versus $475 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 121% 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 $56.0 in Lusail versus $33.00 in Medellin. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $199 vs $193 – 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: $2,139 in Lusail, $1,003 in Medellin – roughly 113% apart. Lusail costs more across the board, with Monthly Utilities & Internet showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,209 per month in Lusail and $1,504 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 $56.0 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 3% 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 $1,003, than in Lusail at $2,139. 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 $1,003 in Medellin to $2,139 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.