Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ajman Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ajman

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $2,338 in Ajman.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $4,398 in Ajman.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $6,459 in Ajman.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 28% less than in Ajman, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medellin 23% above, Ajman 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$5.58 AED 20.51

43.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$26.73 AED 98.2

79.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$8.13 AED 29.87

21.65%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$3.76 AED 13.80

-16.76%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$0.77 AED 2.84

148.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.37 AED 1.36

308.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$10.87 AED 39.94

-71.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$12.36 AED 45.37

-53.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.95 AED 7.17

-26.15%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$1.28 AED 4.72

94.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$1.53 AED 5.62

15.69%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$2.05 AED 7.54

44.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$7.75 AED 28.47

29.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$5.40 AED 19.83

87.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$8.47 AED 31.10

68.83%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$1.79 AED 6.59

131.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.25 AED 4.60

28.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$1.49 AED 5.46

51.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$0.91 AED 3.33

147.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$1.03 AED 3.80

98.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$1.04 AED 3.81

48.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$0.87 AED 3.19

34.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.53 AED 1.94

147.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$6.07 AED 22.31

-35.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$10.84 AED 39.80

29.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.68 AED 6.17

3.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$2.31 AED 8.47

24.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$4.01 AED 14.72

-69.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$67.5 AED 248

19.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$3.55 AED 13.05

-63.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$0.67 AED 2.45

226.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$8.35 AED 30.68

4.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$0.88 AED 3.23

55.68%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$45.4K AED 166.6K

-38.65%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$22.4K AED 82.4K

59.40%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$151 AED 554

17.53%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$50.2 AED 184

-72.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$84.1 AED 309

-64.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$77.6 AED 285

-42.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$10.25 AED 37.64

67.02%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$13.34 AED 49.00

-50.15%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$482 AED 1,770

68.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$5,632 AED 20.7K

63.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$57.5 AED 211

55.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$60.1 AED 221

-1.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$86.7 AED 318

59.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$94.8 AED 348

7.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$2,450 AED 8,998

-56.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$1,368 AED 5,024

-51.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$1,723 AED 6,327

9.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$4,586 AED 16.8K

-77.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$2,233 AED 8,202

87.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$1,431 AED 5,255

17.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$2,248 AED 8,254

-69.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

118.80%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Ajman: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $2,450 in Ajman. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ajman pays 232% 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: $48.00 in Medellin vs $27.00 in Ajman for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $199 per month, with Ajman 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

Medellin vs Ajman: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 39% lower than in Ajman. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 232% lower in Ajman. 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $2,450 in Ajman. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $482 in Ajman. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Ajman pay roughly 53% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,681 in Medellin versus $2,338 in Ajman, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Ajman. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,681 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and Ajman 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 Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Ajman. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.