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: $1,555 in Medellin versus $712 in Al Fallujah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,314 in Medellin versus $1,055 in Al Fallujah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,072 in Medellin versus $1,397 in Al Fallujah.

Living in Medellin is roughly 118% more expensive than in Al Fallujah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 15% above, Al Fallujah is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.59 COP 24.7K

$4.81 IQD 6,298

57.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.78 COP 145.7K

$34.50 IQD 45.2K

29.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 30.1K

$7.60 IQD 9,950

21.58%

Cappuccino

$2.95 COP 9,591

$3.19 IQD 4,176

-7.52%

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

$1.80 COP 5,861

$0.37 IQD 484

386.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.35 COP 4,391

$0.24 IQD 312

462.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.93 COP 9,544

$3.72 IQD 4,865

-21.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.46 COP 17.8K

$3.73 IQD 4,887

46.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 COP 4,663

$1.04 IQD 1,366

37.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,785

$0.77 IQD 1,013

210.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.60 COP 5,209

$1.58 IQD 2,072

1.27%

Eggs

$2.88 COP 9,364

$1.86 IQD 2,434

54.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.71 COP 31.6K

$3.81 IQD 4,993

154.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.44 COP 30.7K

$4.80 IQD 6,283

96.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.24 COP 43.1K

$14.60 IQD 19.1K

-9.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.75 COP 12.2K

$1.17 IQD 1,535

220.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 COP 4,703

$1.10 IQD 1,444

31.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,829

$1.03 IQD 1,344

103.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,930

$0.79 IQD 1,036

169.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 COP 6,259

$0.67 IQD 873

186.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,984

$0.65 IQD 846

135.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 COP 3,549

$0.64 IQD 837

70.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.18 COP 3,843

$0.66 IQD 864

78.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.79 COP 12.3K

$1.79 IQD 2,350

111.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.16 COP 42.8K

$13.53 IQD 17.7K

-2.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 COP 5,337

$2.22 IQD 2,904

-26.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 COP 7,410

$2.18 IQD 2,861

4.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,825

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.6 COP 239.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,157

$2.35 IQD 3,079

-45.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 COP 6,434

$1.50 IQD 1,961

32.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 COP 25.7K

$7.85 IQD 10.3K

0.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.29 COP 4,211

$0.62 IQD 814

108.06%

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

$26.8K COP 87.2M

$19.0K IQD 24.8M

41.14%

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

$34.7K COP 112.9M

$18.9K IQD 24.8M

83.23%

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

$158 COP 513.6K

$211 IQD 276.3K

-25.20%

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

$13.39 COP 43.6K

$21.72 IQD 28.4K

-38.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.28 COP 88.8K

$41.22 IQD 54.0K

-33.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.15 COP 143.7K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.99 COP 52.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.39 COP 20.8K

$10.56 IQD 13.8K

-39.49%

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

$777 COP 2.5M

$167 IQD 218.7K

365.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,800 COP 28.6M

$3,523 IQD 4.6M

149.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.7 COP 269.2K

$29.18 IQD 38.2K

183.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.1 COP 182.6K

$37.70 IQD 49.4K

48.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 COP 425.7K

$74.3 IQD 97.3K

76.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.9 COP 312.1K

$47.05 IQD 61.6K

103.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$627 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,826 COP 5.9M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$969 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,907 COP 12.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,576 COP 5.1M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$620 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.12

165.53%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 28, 2026

Last update for Al Fallujah: September 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $45.00 in Medellin vs $35.00 in Al Fallujah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $285 vs $188 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 118% 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 $2,333 in Medellin and $1,068 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 $777 in Medellin versus $167 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 $35.00 versus $45.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $712 in Al Fallujah versus $1,555 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 $712 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 118% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.