Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Al-hawamidiyah Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Al-hawamidiyah

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,618 per month in Medellin vs $472 in Al-hawamidiyah, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,460 per month in Medellin vs $755 in Al-hawamidiyah, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,302 per month in Medellin vs $1,037 in Al-hawamidiyah, rent included.

Medellin costs about 242% more than Al-hawamidiyah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 19% above the global median, while Al-hawamidiyah is 65% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.69 COP 24.8K

$3.95 E£198

94.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.28 COP 139.8K

$16.01 E£802

170.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.7K

$4.48 E£224

112.05%

Cappuccino

$2.81 COP 9,077

$1.35 E£67.8

108.15%

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

$1.84 COP 5,930

$0.34 E£17.04

441.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,868

$0.14 E£7.07

978.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.08 COP 9,964

$1.37 E£68.4

124.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.49 COP 17.7K

$3.04 E£152

80.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 COP 4,343

$0.87 E£43.38

54.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.31 COP 7,448

$0.77 E£38.32

200.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 COP 4,747

$0.63 E£31.72

133.33%

Eggs

$2.69 COP 8,683

$1.18 E£59.3

127.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.87 COP 28.7K

$3.96 E£198

123.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.64 COP 34.4K

$4.47 E£224

138.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.47 COP 46.8K

$9.32 E£466

55.26%

Apples (1kg)

$3.75 COP 12.1K

$1.54 E£77.0

143.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 COP 4,480

$0.78 E£38.84

78.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,179

$0.57 E£28.50

289.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 COP 6,398

$0.35 E£17.69

465.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,638

$0.25 E£12.46

720.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.60 COP 5,169

$0.33 E£16.59

384.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 COP 3,366

$0.26 E£12.98

300.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 COP 4,099

$0.22 E£11.02

477.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.75 COP 12.1K

$1.98 E£99.4

89.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.10 COP 42.3K

$6.15 E£308

113.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,094

$1.32 E£65.9

19.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 COP 9,754

$2.75 E£138

9.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,774

$0.19 E£9.35

515.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.0 COP 245.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.50 COP 4,856

$0.62 E£30.98

141.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,739

$0.47 E£23.55

344.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.10 COP 26.2K

$1.96 E£98.1

313.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 COP 4,079

$0.44 E£22.00

186.36%

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

$26.9K COP 86.9M

$33.4K E£1.7M

-19.53%

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

$34.9K COP 112.7M

$29.4K E£1.5M

18.46%

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

$148 COP 479.2K

$14.72 E£737

907.54%

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

$13.03 COP 42.1K

$7.27 E£364

79.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.48 COP 101.7K

$14.14 E£708

122.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.50 COP 147.0K

$21.31 E£1,067

113.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.02 COP 55.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.32 COP 20.4K

$3.06 E£153

106.54%

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

$837 COP 2.7M

$86.8 E£4,345

864.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,663 COP 28.0M

$2,158 E£108.1K

301.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.8 COP 286.9K

$31.18 E£1,561

184.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 COP 177.5K

$47.84 E£2,396

14.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$134 COP 434.4K

$129 E£6,470

4.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.0K

$58.8 E£2,944

84.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$939 COP 3.0M

$147 E£7,345

540.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$646 COP 2.1M

$74.9 E£3,751

762.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,941 COP 6.3M

$266 E£13.3K

629.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,126 COP 3.6M

$153 E£7,666

635.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,638 COP 11.8M

$788 E£39.5K

361.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,553 COP 5.0M

$410 E£20.5K

279.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$628 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.43

21.33

-51.10%

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

Last update for Medellin: August 3, 2026

Last update for Al-hawamidiyah: August 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $939 in Medellin versus $147 in Al-hawamidiyah. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Medellin versus $16.00 in Al-hawamidiyah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $291 vs $132 – making Al-hawamidiyah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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-hawamidiyah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 242% more than Al-hawamidiyah, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,427 per month in Medellin and $709 in Al-hawamidiyah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Al-hawamidiyah, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $43.00 in Medellin and $16.00 in Al-hawamidiyah. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 121% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Al-hawamidiyah, where all-in costs run around $472, than in Medellin at $1,618. In Al-hawamidiyah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Al-hawamidiyah costs $472 versus $1,618 in Medellin. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Al-hawamidiyah. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.