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: $1,017 in Medellin versus $485 in Al `alamayn.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $770 in Al `alamayn.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,188 in Medellin versus $1,055 in Al `alamayn.

Living in Medellin is roughly 110% more expensive than Al `alamayn, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Al `alamayn 64% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$5.82 E£297

2.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$13.92 E£711

139.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$4.02 E£205

79.85%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$0.90 E£46.12

81.11%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$0.32 E£16.26

240.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.10 E£5.30

630.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$1.17 E£59.5

48.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$2.91 E£149

11.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$0.99 E£50.6

6.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$0.29 E£14.74

344.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$0.58 E£29.49

127.59%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$1.52 E£77.7

49.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$2.52 E£129

72.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$4.26 E£218

38.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$7.39 E£377

16.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$1.34 E£68.5

67.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$0.60 E£30.75

78.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$0.44 E£22.54

245.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$0.25 E£12.73

468.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$0.33 E£16.61

254.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$0.41 E£21.09

185.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$0.34 E£17.35

161.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$0.23 E£11.76

291.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$1.95 E£99.6

15.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$5.50 E£281

100.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$1.31 E£67.0

-12.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$1.87 E£95.7

27.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$0.17 E£8.54

394.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$0.42 E£21.29

235.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$0.31 E£15.86

512.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$1.01 E£51.6

667.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$0.30 E£15.11

236.67%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$34.9K E£1.8M

-49.58%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$33.2K E£1.7M

-20.26%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$24.25 E£1,238

245.07%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$9.66 E£494

-2.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$15.83 E£808

52.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$22.19 E£1,133

14.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$2.98 E£152

37.58%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$32.97 E£1,684

846.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$1,838 E£93.9K

226.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$17.75 E£907

226.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$42.16 E£2,153

-22.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$113 E£5,791

-12.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$75.1 E£3,835

44.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$186 E£9,495

159.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$98.1 E£5,012

286.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$314 E£16.0K

167.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$174 E£8,897

315.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

$752 E£38.4K

277.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

$400 E£20.4K

205.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Al `alamayn: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Medellin and $186 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 $190 vs $113 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 110% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $1,525 in Medellin and $728 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: $482 in Medellin versus $186 in Al `alamayn. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 68% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,017 per month in Medellin versus $485 in Al `alamayn – a 110% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $485 in Al `alamayn versus $1,017 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 110% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.