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 $1,017 per month in Medellin vs $468 in Al-hawamidiyah, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,602 per month in Medellin vs $743 in Al-hawamidiyah, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,188 per month in Medellin vs $1,018 in Al-hawamidiyah, rent included.

Medellin costs about 117% more than Al-hawamidiyah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Medellin and Al-hawamidiyah are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 24% lower, Al-hawamidiyah 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$3.47 E£177

71.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$15.94 E£814

109.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$4.65 E£238

55.48%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$1.51 E£77.2

7.95%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$0.29 E£14.60

275.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.12 E£6.33

508.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$1.16 E£59.5

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$2.94 E£150

9.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$0.79 E£40.39

32.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$0.73 E£37.15

76.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$0.71 E£36.33

85.92%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$1.39 E£71.1

63.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$3.84 E£196

13.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$4.42 E£226

33.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$9.76 E£498

-11.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$1.41 E£72.0

59.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$0.55 E£27.96

94.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$0.39 E£20.08

289.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$0.39 E£19.99

264.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$0.41 E£20.72

185.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$0.43 E£22.19

172.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$0.22 E£11.18

304.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$0.22 E£11.06

309.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$1.99 E£102

13.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$5.61 E£286

96.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$1.42 E£72.6

-19.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$2.62 E£134

-9.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$0.19 E£9.84

342.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$0.56 E£28.49

151.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$0.45 E£23.03

322.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$2.00 E£102

287.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$0.30 E£15.56

236.67%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$35.0K E£1.8M

-49.77%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$33.3K E£1.7M

-20.34%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$11.19 E£572

647.81%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$5.54 E£283

70.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$10.19 E£520

136.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$22.64 E£1,156

11.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$2.91 E£149

40.89%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$90.0 E£4,594

246.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$1,829 E£93.4K

227.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$27.02 E£1,380

114.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$49.48 E£2,527

-34.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$109 E£5,570

-8.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$50.8 E£2,596

113.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$191 E£9,747

152.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$99.1 E£5,061

282.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$313 E£16.0K

167.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$178 E£9,081

306.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

$846 E£43.2K

235.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

$398 E£20.3K

207.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

-21.00%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Last update for Al-hawamidiyah: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $482 in Medellin versus $191 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 $33.00 in Medellin versus $16.00 in Al-hawamidiyah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $190 vs $129 – 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 117% 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 $1,525 per month in Medellin and $702 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 $33.00 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 46% 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 $468, than in Medellin at $1,017. 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 $468 versus $1,017 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.