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: $1,687 in Medellin versus $726 in Al Fallujah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,535 in Medellin versus $1,074 in Al Fallujah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,383 in Medellin versus $1,421 in Al Fallujah.

Living in Medellin is roughly 132% more expensive than in Al Fallujah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Al Fallujah is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.89 COP 24.2K

$4.68 IQD 6,133

68.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.53 COP 136.5K

$38.91 IQD 51.0K

14.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.29 COP 28.5K

$7.64 IQD 10.0K

21.60%

Cappuccino

$2.90 COP 8,874

$3.35 IQD 4,387

-13.43%

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

$1.81 COP 5,541

$0.39 IQD 512

364.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 COP 4,741

$0.24 IQD 314

545.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.25 COP 9,962

$3.92 IQD 5,138

-17.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.88 COP 18.0K

$3.76 IQD 4,922

56.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 COP 4,230

$1.09 IQD 1,433

26.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 COP 7,517

$0.78 IQD 1,020

214.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,617

$1.57 IQD 2,051

-3.82%

Eggs

$2.78 COP 8,516

$1.88 IQD 2,458

47.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.05 COP 27.7K

$3.89 IQD 5,093

132.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.65 COP 32.6K

$4.75 IQD 6,222

124.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.63 COP 44.8K

$14.57 IQD 19.1K

0.41%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.2K

$1.11 IQD 1,449

257.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,219

$1.05 IQD 1,371

31.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,056

$1.00 IQD 1,305

130.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.02 COP 6,185

$0.75 IQD 979

169.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 COP 6,390

$0.71 IQD 924

194.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 COP 4,996

$0.70 IQD 912

132.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 COP 3,313

$0.66 IQD 870

63.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,843

$0.70 IQD 920

78.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.03 COP 12.4K

$1.87 IQD 2,447

115.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 COP 41.3K

$13.66 IQD 17.9K

-1.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 COP 4,904

$2.24 IQD 2,929

-28.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 COP 9,189

$2.16 IQD 2,828

38.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,611

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.9 COP 244.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.61 COP 4,920

$2.33 IQD 3,052

-30.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,533

$1.55 IQD 2,025

37.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.52 COP 26.1K

$7.54 IQD 9,874

13.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,142

$0.66 IQD 870

104.55%

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

$28.3K COP 86.8M

$19.3K IQD 25.3M

46.43%

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

$35.7K COP 109.4M

$19.3K IQD 25.2M

85.35%

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

$151 COP 463.8K

$218 IQD 285.5K

-30.57%

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

$13.10 COP 40.1K

$21.11 IQD 27.6K

-37.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.30 COP 99.0K

$42.19 IQD 55.3K

-23.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.33 COP 141.9K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.26 COP 52.9K

Cinema Ticket

$6.43 COP 19.7K

$10.81 IQD 14.2K

-40.52%

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

$835 COP 2.6M

$169 IQD 221.6K

393.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,887 COP 27.2M

$3,414 IQD 4.5M

160.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 COP 273.7K

$31.52 IQD 41.3K

183.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 COP 169.5K

$39.33 IQD 51.5K

40.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 418.5K

$75.2 IQD 98.5K

81.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 335.1K

$49.72 IQD 65.1K

119.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$952 COP 2.9M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$668 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 COP 6.2M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 COP 3.5M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,696 COP 11.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,586 COP 4.9M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$625 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.43

4.12

153.16%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 17, 2026

Last update for Al Fallujah: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $45.00 in Medellin vs $39.00 in Al Fallujah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $189 per month, with Al Fallujah 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 Fallujah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al Fallujah wins on cost – living expenses run 132% 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 $2,530 in Medellin and $1,090 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.

Childcare runs $835 in Medellin versus $169 in Al Fallujah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Al Fallujah – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $45.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $726 in Al Fallujah versus $1,687 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 $726 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 132% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.