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: $1,031 in Medellin versus $2,773 in Ajman.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $5,108 in Ajman.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $7,444 in Ajman.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 63% less than in Ajman, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% below, Ajman is 108% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$6.16 AED 22.61

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$27.30 AED 100

19.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$8.36 AED 30.72

-12.20%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,600

$3.81 AED 13.99

-54.86%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$0.84 AED 3.07

25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$0.38 AED 1.38

102.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,488

$10.84 AED 39.81

-84.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$11.01 AED 40.44

-71.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$2.27 AED 8.35

-53.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$1.17 AED 4.30

11.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$1.41 AED 5.18

-0.71%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,047

$1.81 AED 6.65

19.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$9.19 AED 33.77

-52.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$6.69 AED 24.56

-12.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$7.50 AED 27.54

15.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,426

$1.66 AED 6.11

37.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,604

$1.26 AED 4.62

-11.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,983

$1.44 AED 5.29

6.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$1.04 AED 3.82

29.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$0.94 AED 3.44

20.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$1.01 AED 3.72

11.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$0.80 AED 2.94

6.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$0.57 AED 2.08

59.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,630

$6.22 AED 22.86

-62.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$11.09 AED 40.75

11.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$1.61 AED 5.92

-25.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$2.73 AED 10.03

-8.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,728

$4.15 AED 15.24

-79.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

$63.2 AED 232

-35.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$3.63 AED 13.33

-60.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$0.69 AED 2.53

178.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$8.41 AED 30.90

-8.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$0.77 AED 2.82

28.57%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$45.0K AED 165.2K

-59.92%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$23.7K AED 86.9K

12.54%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$140 AED 516

-42.47%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$60.7 AED 223

-83.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$110 AED 403

-77.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.7K

$164 AED 601

-84.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$3.56 AED 13.06

437.92%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$13.85 AED 50.9

-71.26%

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

$305 COP 993.5K

$597 AED 2,192

-48.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$5,646 AED 20.7K

7.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$58.6 AED 215

-0.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$61.7 AED 227

-47.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$84.9 AED 312

18.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$93.1 AED 342

15.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$3,295 AED 12.1K

-85.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$1,655 AED 6,077

-77.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$5,671 AED 20.8K

-85.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$5,335 AED 19.6K

-86.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$2,279 AED 8,370

41.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$1,413 AED 5,190

-2.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

$2,235 AED 8,207

-72.40%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Ajman: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $3,295 in Ajman. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ajman pays 262% 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 $193 vs $208, 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 169% 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 262% 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: $477 in Medellin versus $3,295 in Ajman. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Medellin versus $597 in Ajman. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Ajman. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,031 in Medellin versus $2,773 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 $1,031 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 169% less than in Ajman. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.