Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Al `alamayn Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Al `alamayn

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,030 in Medellin versus $483 in Al `alamayn.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,586 in Medellin versus $758 in Al `alamayn.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $1,033 in Al `alamayn.

Living in Medellin is roughly 113% more expensive than Al `alamayn, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Al `alamayn 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.1K

$5.96 E£314

-0.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.17 COP 118.3K

$13.66 E£719

142.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.25 COP 25.9K

$4.05 E£213

79.01%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,118

$0.93 E£49.16

83.87%

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

$1.09 COP 3,903

$0.35 E£18.15

211.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,734

$0.11 E£5.78

600.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 COP 6,234

$1.16 E£61.0

50.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 11.4K

$3.00 E£158

6.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,780

$0.99 E£52.3

7.07%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,643

$0.29 E£15.01

348.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,911

$0.58 E£30.60

137.93%

Eggs

$2.21 COP 7,883

$1.48 E£78.0

49.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.52 COP 16.1K

$2.41 E£127

87.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 COP 20.7K

$4.34 E£228

33.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 32.0K

$7.55 E£397

18.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 COP 8,157

$1.34 E£70.5

70.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,779

$0.56 E£29.51

89.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 COP 5,394

$0.47 E£24.93

221.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,854

$0.27 E£14.34

403.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,133

$0.33 E£17.19

251.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,161

$0.44 E£23.24

165.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 COP 2,951

$0.34 E£17.79

144.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 COP 3,034

$0.23 E£12.11

269.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.35 COP 8,397

$1.92 E£101

22.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.09 COP 39.6K

$4.27 E£225

159.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 COP 4,120

$1.36 E£71.6

-15.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,826

$1.80 E£94.9

37.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,818

$0.16 E£8.56

393.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.85 COP 149.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,124

$0.38 E£20.22

278.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,772

$0.29 E£15.04

555.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.70 COP 27.5K

$0.98 E£51.5

685.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 COP 3,669

$0.32 E£16.94

221.88%

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

$17.7K COP 63.1M

$35.5K E£1.9M

-50.25%

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

$27.0K COP 96.4M

$33.1K E£1.7M

-18.39%

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

$81.4 COP 290.5K

$24.46 E£1,287

232.87%

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

$9.42 COP 33.6K

$9.84 E£518

-4.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.77 COP 84.8K

$15.91 E£837

49.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.86 COP 92.3K

$21.99 E£1,157

17.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.34 COP 69.0K

Cinema Ticket

$4.05 COP 14.5K

$2.91 E£153

39.18%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$32.53 E£1,711

860.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,067 COP 21.6M

$1,841 E£96.8K

229.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 COP 210.0K

$17.98 E£946

227.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.82 COP 117.1K

$43.35 E£2,280

-24.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 COP 358.5K

$114 E£6,000

-11.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 COP 379.2K

$75.0 E£3,943

41.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 COP 1.7M

$191 E£10.0K

156.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 COP 1.3M

$98.6 E£5,188

275.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$309 E£16.2K

171.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 COP 2.6M

$181 E£9,515

295.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,952 COP 10.5M

$819 E£43.1K

260.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,394 COP 5.0M

$462 E£24.3K

201.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$532 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

-32.85%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 20, 2026

Last update for Al `alamayn: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $490 in Medellin and $191 in Al `alamayn. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33 in Medellin vs $14 in Al `alamayn for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $111 per month, with Al `alamayn 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 Al `alamayn: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al `alamayn is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 113% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,544 in Medellin and $725 in Al `alamayn 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: $490 in Medellin versus $191 in Al `alamayn. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 72% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,030 per month in Medellin versus $483 in Al `alamayn – a 113% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $483 in Al `alamayn versus $1,030 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Al `alamayn but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Al `alamayn the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Al `alamayn is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Al `alamayn gentler on the wallet – expenses run 113% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.