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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $2,803 in Ajman.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $5,201 in Ajman.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $7,599 in Ajman.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 64% less than in Ajman, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 24% below, Ajman is 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$6.12 AED 22.47

-2.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.4K

$26.83 AED 98.6

22.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$7.98 AED 29.31

-11.15%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,115

$3.71 AED 13.62

-53.91%

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

$1.10 COP 3,924

$0.83 AED 3.06

32.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,781

$0.38 AED 1.38

105.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,997

$11.04 AED 40.55

-84.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$10.79 AED 39.64

-71.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,906

$2.27 AED 8.33

-51.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,508

$1.17 AED 4.30

7.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,922

$1.39 AED 5.10

-0.72%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,827

$1.87 AED 6.88

17.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$8.91 AED 32.73

-50.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$6.60 AED 24.24

-14.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.8K

$7.63 AED 28.03

16.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,349

$1.65 AED 6.05

41.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,777

$1.24 AED 4.56

-14.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,374

$1.46 AED 5.35

2.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,924

$1.09 AED 4.02

26.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,111

$0.97 AED 3.58

18.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,155

$1.02 AED 3.74

13.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,182

$0.74 AED 2.73

20.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,997

$0.62 AED 2.28

35.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,145

$6.28 AED 23.05

-63.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.0K

$10.81 AED 39.70

-1.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,284

$1.61 AED 5.90

-25.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,824

$2.67 AED 9.82

-7.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,056

$4.20 AED 15.42

-79.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.9K

$63.0 AED 231

-34.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,264

$3.44 AED 12.62

-57.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,009

$0.69 AED 2.54

184.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$8.09 AED 29.73

-4.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,409

$0.76 AED 2.80

25.00%

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

$18.1K COP 64.7M

$45.7K AED 167.9K

-60.34%

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

$26.5K COP 94.6M

$23.4K AED 85.8K

13.36%

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

$82.3 COP 293.7K

$137 AED 504

-40.02%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$61.1 AED 225

-84.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.5K

$109 AED 399

-77.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.4K

$167 AED 614

-84.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.9K

$3.71 AED 13.64

412.13%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$13.46 AED 49.44

-70.80%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$579 AED 2,128

-46.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$5,805 AED 21.3K

2.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.5K

$59.5 AED 219

-1.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.5K

$62.1 AED 228

-47.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 366.4K

$84.9 AED 312

20.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 387.2K

$92.3 AED 339

17.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$3,307 AED 12.1K

-85.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$1,654 AED 6,076

-77.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$5,611 AED 20.6K

-85.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$5,281 AED 19.4K

-86.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

$2,266 AED 8,324

23.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$1,429 AED 5,247

-15.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$2,279 AED 8,369

-77.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

4.53

196.47%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Ajman: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $3,307 in Ajman. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ajman pays 345% 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: $33.00 in Medellin vs $27.00 in Ajman. Groceries flip the comparison at $188 vs $207, with Medellin 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

Medellin vs Ajman: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 177% 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, Ajman earns 345% less. 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: $476 in Medellin versus $3,307 in Ajman. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $579 in Ajman. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Ajman. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $2,803 in Ajman, a $1,500 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 $1,013 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 177% less than in Ajman. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.