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: $1,017 in Medellin versus $928 in Al Fallujah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,408 in Al Fallujah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,188 in Medellin versus $1,889 in Al Fallujah.

Living in Medellin is roughly 10% more expensive than Al Fallujah, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Al Fallujah 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$5.35 IQD 7,001

11.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$35.88 IQD 47.0K

-7.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$7.61 IQD 9,966

-4.99%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$3.07 IQD 4,020

-46.91%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$0.36 IQD 477

202.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.19 IQD 246

284.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$3.39 IQD 4,445

-48.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$2.85 IQD 3,729

13.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$1.36 IQD 1,785

-22.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$0.80 IQD 1,043

61.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$1.66 IQD 2,175

-20.48%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$1.78 IQD 2,336

27.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$4.54 IQD 5,947

-4.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$4.90 IQD 6,422

20.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$14.26 IQD 18.7K

-39.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$1.23 IQD 1,608

82.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$1.17 IQD 1,530

-8.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$1.06 IQD 1,388

43.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$0.73 IQD 956

94.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$0.64 IQD 836

82.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$0.67 IQD 878

74.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$0.68 IQD 884

30.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$0.67 IQD 878

34.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$2.13 IQD 2,789

5.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$13.46 IQD 17.6K

-17.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$1.86 IQD 2,434

-38.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$2.17 IQD 2,843

9.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$0.36 IQD 474

133.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

$31.19 IQD 40.8K

34.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$3.75 IQD 4,913

-62.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$1.55 IQD 2,029

22.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$7.74 IQD 10.1K

0.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$0.53 IQD 689

90.57%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$19.7K IQD 25.8M

-10.77%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$20.3K IQD 26.5M

30.81%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$179 IQD 234.3K

-53.23%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$26.20 IQD 34.3K

-63.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$40.33 IQD 52.8K

-40.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$37.46 IQD 49.1K

-32.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

$16.70 IQD 21.9K

14.61%

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$7.70 IQD 10.1K

-46.75%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$167 IQD 218.7K

86.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$3,548 IQD 4.6M

68.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$28.50 IQD 37.3K

103.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$30.82 IQD 40.4K

5.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$65.0 IQD 85.1K

53.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$43.45 IQD 56.9K

149.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$247 IQD 323.5K

95.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$177 IQD 231.1K

115.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$574 IQD 751.7K

45.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$347 IQD 454.4K

108.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Al Fallujah: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Medellin and $247 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 for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $192 per month, with Medellin 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 10% 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 $1,525 in Medellin and $1,391 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: $482 in Medellin versus $247 in Al Fallujah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $312 in Medellin versus $167 in Al Fallujah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $928 in Al Fallujah versus $1,017 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 $928 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 10% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.