Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Al Fallujah Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Al Fallujah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,034 in Medellin versus $925 in Al Fallujah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,577 in Medellin versus $1,379 in Al Fallujah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,120 in Medellin versus $1,833 in Al Fallujah.

Living in Medellin is roughly 12% more expensive than Al Fallujah, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Al Fallujah 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$5.50 IQD 7,207

7.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$36.07 IQD 47.3K

-9.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$7.71 IQD 10.1K

-6.61%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$2.98 IQD 3,904

-42.95%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$0.39 IQD 514

182.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.16 IQD 214

350.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$3.46 IQD 4,527

-51.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$2.81 IQD 3,686

10.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$1.32 IQD 1,730

-19.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$0.77 IQD 1,008

62.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$1.64 IQD 2,155

-15.24%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$1.80 IQD 2,361

25.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$4.49 IQD 5,879

-3.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$4.80 IQD 6,283

21.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$13.86 IQD 18.2K

-36.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$1.26 IQD 1,657

77.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$1.21 IQD 1,581

-10.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$1.01 IQD 1,327

51.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$0.74 IQD 964

85.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$0.68 IQD 893

66.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$0.64 IQD 838

75.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$0.68 IQD 887

25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$0.65 IQD 852

40.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$2.08 IQD 2,724

12.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$13.34 IQD 17.5K

-16.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$1.82 IQD 2,385

-34.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$2.15 IQD 2,814

10.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$0.36 IQD 473

119.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

$30.93 IQD 40.5K

32.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$3.76 IQD 4,928

-61.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$1.55 IQD 2,028

23.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$7.45 IQD 9,764

7.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$0.53 IQD 693

77.36%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$19.9K IQD 26.1M

-10.07%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$19.6K IQD 25.6M

36.89%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$180 IQD 235.4K

-53.28%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$25.68 IQD 33.6K

-62.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$40.08 IQD 52.5K

-39.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$36.26 IQD 47.5K

-28.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

$16.68 IQD 21.8K

14.15%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$7.46 IQD 9,776

-47.45%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$164 IQD 215.3K

86.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$3,582 IQD 4.7M

65.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$28.67 IQD 37.6K

101.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$30.29 IQD 39.7K

5.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$65.1 IQD 85.3K

53.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$42.69 IQD 55.9K

150.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$242 IQD 316.9K

101.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$177 IQD 232.3K

107.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$587 IQD 769.4K

40.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$338 IQD 443.2K

111.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

5.67

136.86%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Last update for Al Fallujah: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Medellin and $242 in Al Fallujah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $36.00 in Al Fallujah. Groceries flip the comparison at $190 vs $189, with Al Fallujah 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 Al Fallujah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al Fallujah wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Al Fallujah the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,550 in Medellin and $1,387 in Al Fallujah 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: $487 in Medellin versus $242 in Al Fallujah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $306 in Medellin versus $164 in Al Fallujah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 0% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $925 in Al Fallujah versus $1,034 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Al Fallujah but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Al Fallujah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Al Fallujah delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $925 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Al Fallujah hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Al Fallujah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.