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: $1,681 in Medellin versus $444 in Al `alamayn.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $720 in Al `alamayn.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $997 in Al `alamayn.

Living in Medellin is roughly 278% more expensive than in Al `alamayn, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Al `alamayn is 68% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.3K

$4.79 E£249

67.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 151.0K

$14.62 E£761

227.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.2K

$3.07 E£160

222.15%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,873

$1.41 E£73.3

121.99%

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

$1.91 COP 6,019

$0.38 E£19.66

402.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,763

$0.12 E£6.29

1158.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,853

$1.38 E£72.0

126.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$2.57 E£134

123.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,558

$0.99 E£51.8

45.45%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,843

$0.29 E£15.08

758.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,595

$0.58 E£30.01

205.17%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,336

$1.36 E£70.6

117.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.8K

$2.91 E£152

246.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.9K

$4.02 E£209

151.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.1K

$7.68 E£400

86.20%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.0K

$1.63 E£84.7

153.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,073

$0.66 E£34.53

143.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,083

$0.50 E£25.90

350.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,104

$0.34 E£17.68

561.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,444

$0.37 E£19.07

451.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,842

$0.40 E£20.72

285.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,691

$0.41 E£21.49

185.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,121

$0.22 E£11.47

495.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.3K

$2.19 E£114

78.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.2K

$6.20 E£323

125.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,498

$1.33 E£69.1

30.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,053

$1.77 E£92.4

62.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,834

$0.17 E£8.92

617.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 253.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,129

$0.32 E£16.85

309.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,899

$0.46 E£24.14

376.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.5K

$0.92 E£48.03

846.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,306

$0.43 E£22.33

218.60%

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

$27.8K COP 87.8M

$32.7K E£1.7M

-15.00%

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

$35.8K COP 112.8M

$23.6K E£1.2M

51.70%

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

$177 COP 559.3K

$22.04 E£1,148

704.45%

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

$13.88 COP 43.8K

$4.03 E£210

244.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 93.8K

$8.59 E£447

245.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 141.6K

$17.52 E£912

156.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.0K

$2.95 E£154

125.42%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$32.79 E£1,708

2379.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.0M

$1,922 E£100.1K

377.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 282.3K

$16.54 E£862

441.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 186.0K

$45.24 E£2,356

30.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 435.9K

$105 E£5,446

32.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 322.1K

$86.7 E£4,513

17.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$151 E£7,868

602.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$72.5 E£3,776

814.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$261 E£13.6K

624.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$126 E£6,577

713.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.2M

$848 E£44.2K

393.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$410 E£21.3K

308.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

-57.92%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Al `alamayn: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $151 in Al `alamayn. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $15.00 in Al `alamayn for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $117 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 278% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,521 in Medellin and $666 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $151 in Al `alamayn. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 160% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,681 per month in Medellin versus $444 in Al `alamayn – a 278% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $444 in Al `alamayn versus $1,681 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 278% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.