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: $1,003 in Medellin versus $497 in Al `alamayn.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,573 in Medellin versus $776 in Al `alamayn.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $1,056 in Al `alamayn.

Living in Medellin is roughly 102% more expensive than in Al `alamayn, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 25% lower, Al `alamayn 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.91 COP 18.6K

$6.06 E£305

-2.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.96 COP 103.8K

$13.77 E£693

139.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 COP 23.4K

$3.88 E£195

91.49%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,207

$0.93 E£46.94

77.42%

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

$1.10 COP 3,468

$0.35 E£17.42

214.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,458

$0.11 E£5.65

609.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,412

$1.16 E£58.3

48.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$2.98 E£150

6.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 COP 3,474

$1.03 E£52.0

6.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 3,962

$0.31 E£15.79

306.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,349

$0.58 E£29.11

137.93%

Eggs

$2.18 COP 6,858

$1.47 E£73.9

48.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 COP 14.1K

$2.42 E£122

85.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.79 COP 18.2K

$4.21 E£212

37.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 28.2K

$7.39 E£372

21.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 COP 7,308

$1.35 E£67.8

71.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,352

$0.61 E£30.76

73.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 4,774

$0.44 E£22.17

245.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,270

$0.27 E£13.68

403.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,552

$0.36 E£17.96

213.89%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,689

$0.41 E£20.82

185.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,838

$0.33 E£16.75

172.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 2,823

$0.21 E£10.53

328.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 COP 7,034

$1.88 E£94.3

18.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 COP 38.2K

$6.87 E£345

76.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 3,743

$1.35 E£68.1

-11.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 7,815

$1.79 E£89.9

38.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 COP 2,687

$0.16 E£8.12

431.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 131.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,459

$0.41 E£20.66

246.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 COP 6,141

$0.29 E£14.57

572.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 COP 24.8K

$1.01 E£50.8

681.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,118

$0.30 E£14.99

230.00%

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

$17.6K COP 55.4M

$35.4K E£1.8M

-50.29%

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

$26.8K COP 84.4M

$33.1K E£1.7M

-18.99%

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

$83.0 COP 261.4K

$24.01 E£1,207

245.73%

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

$9.70 COP 30.5K

$9.91 E£498

-2.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 COP 74.1K

$15.70 E£790

49.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.26 COP 79.5K

$22.01 E£1,107

14.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 COP 60.1K

Cinema Ticket

$3.95 COP 12.4K

$2.93 E£147

34.81%

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

$316 COP 994.2K

$33.06 E£1,663

855.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,975 COP 18.8M

$1,869 E£94.0K

219.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 188.9K

$17.75 E£893

238.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 100.2K

$41.95 E£2,110

-24.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 320.1K

$114 E£5,723

-10.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 338.3K

$75.7 E£3,806

42.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 COP 1.5M

$192 E£9,637

147.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 COP 1.2M

$98.2 E£4,938

280.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 COP 2.7M

$308 E£15.5K

175.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 COP 2.3M

$175 E£8,819

310.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,265 COP 10.3M

$795 E£40.0K

310.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 COP 4.5M

$388 E£19.5K

270.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 COP 2.0M

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Al `alamayn: July 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $475 in Medellin and $192 in Al `alamayn. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $14.00 in Al `alamayn for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $115 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, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 102% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,504 in Medellin and $746 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: $475 in Medellin versus $192 in Al `alamayn. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 67% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,003 per month in Medellin versus $497 in Al `alamayn – a 102% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $497 in Al `alamayn versus $1,003 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 102% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.