Cost of Living Comparison Between Mashhad and Medellin Cost of Living Comparison Between Mashhad and Medellin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $839 in Mashhad versus $1,034 in Medellin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,267 in Mashhad versus $1,577 in Medellin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,695 in Mashhad versus $2,120 in Medellin.

Living in Mashhad costs roughly 19% less than in Medellin, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mashhad 37% lower, Medellin 23% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.42 IQD 7,106

$5.92 COP 21.4K

-8.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$36.49 IQD 47.8K

$32.75 COP 118.2K

11.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.47 IQD 9,782

$7.20 COP 26.0K

3.75%

Cappuccino

$3.00 IQD 3,930

$1.70 COP 6,140

76.47%

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

$0.36 IQD 473

$1.10 COP 3,966

-67.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.21 IQD 277

$0.72 COP 2,605

-70.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.52 IQD 4,610

$1.67 COP 6,022

110.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 IQD 3,830

$3.10 COP 11.2K

-5.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 IQD 1,803

$1.06 COP 3,809

30.19%

White Bread (500g)

$0.78 IQD 1,027

$1.25 COP 4,497

-37.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 IQD 2,149

$1.39 COP 5,022

17.99%

Eggs

$0.88 IQD 1,155

$2.26 COP 8,168

-61.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 IQD 5,876

$4.33 COP 15.6K

3.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.05 IQD 2,689

$5.84 COP 21.1K

-64.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$3.09 IQD 4,042

$8.83 COP 31.9K

-65.01%

Apples (1kg)

$0.98 IQD 1,280

$2.24 COP 8,099

-56.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 IQD 1,585

$1.08 COP 3,882

12.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.01 IQD 1,329

$1.53 COP 5,522

-33.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.71 IQD 936

$1.37 COP 4,950

-48.18%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 IQD 852

$1.13 COP 4,078

-42.48%

Onion (1kg)

$0.67 IQD 878

$1.12 COP 4,036

-40.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.29 IQD 376

$0.85 COP 3,057

-65.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.19 IQD 246

$0.91 COP 3,281

-79.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$0.78 IQD 1,028

$2.33 COP 8,414

-66.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 IQD 17.7K

$11.13 COP 40.2K

21.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 IQD 2,438

$1.19 COP 4,309

56.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 IQD 2,755

$2.37 COP 8,553

-11.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.40 IQD 519

$0.79 COP 2,838

-49.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$31.56 IQD 41.3K

$41.13 COP 148.5K

-23.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.73 IQD 4,893

$1.44 COP 5,184

159.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 IQD 1,931

$1.91 COP 6,901

-23.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.50 IQD 9,829

$8.02 COP 28.9K

-6.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.56 IQD 740

$0.94 COP 3,385

-40.43%

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

$19.8K IQD 25.9M

$17.9K COP 64.7M

10.42%

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

$20.1K IQD 26.4M

$26.8K COP 96.7M

-24.90%

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

$177 IQD 232.0K

$84.0 COP 303.1K

110.92%

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

$26.01 IQD 34.1K

$9.60 COP 34.7K

170.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.80 IQD 53.5K

$24.16 COP 87.2K

68.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.02 IQD 47.2K

$25.88 COP 93.4K

39.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.98 IQD 22.2K

$19.04 COP 68.7K

-10.82%

Cinema Ticket

$7.51 IQD 9,834

$3.92 COP 14.1K

91.58%

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

$166 IQD 217.9K

$306 COP 1.1M

-45.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,534 IQD 4.6M

$5,919 COP 21.4M

-40.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$28.46 IQD 37.3K

$57.9 COP 209.1K

-50.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.31 IQD 39.7K

$31.82 COP 114.9K

-4.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.9 IQD 85.1K

$99.9 COP 360.6K

-35.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$43.00 IQD 56.3K

$107 COP 386.8K

-59.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$239 IQD 313.3K

$487 COP 1.8M

-50.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$181 IQD 236.9K

$368 COP 1.3M

-50.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$581 IQD 761.8K

$826 COP 3.0M

-29.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$339 IQD 444.7K

$716 COP 2.6M

-52.60%

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 Mashhad: April 27, 2026

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $239 in Mashhad and $487 in Medellin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $36.00 in Mashhad vs $33.00 in Medellin. Groceries flip the comparison at $132 vs $190, with Mashhad cheaper for home cooking.

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

Mashhad vs Medellin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mashhad and Medellin differ by about 23% in total monthly costs ($839 vs $1,034 including rent). Mashhad is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,259 in Mashhad 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: $239 in Mashhad versus $487 in Medellin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $166 in Mashhad 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 44% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $839 in Mashhad versus $1,034 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mashhad but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Mashhad 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.

Safety-wise, Mashhad and Medellin are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Mashhad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.