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 $1,030 per month in Medellin vs $465 in Al-hawamidiyah, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,586 per month in Medellin vs $755 in Al-hawamidiyah, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,143 per month in Medellin vs $1,045 in Al-hawamidiyah, rent included.

Medellin costs about 121% more than Al-hawamidiyah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Medellin and Al-hawamidiyah are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 23% lower, Al-hawamidiyah 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.1K

$3.62 E£190

63.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.17 COP 118.3K

$15.74 E£828

110.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.25 COP 25.9K

$4.70 E£247

54.26%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,118

$1.48 E£78.1

15.54%

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

$1.09 COP 3,903

$0.29 E£15.00

275.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,734

$0.12 E£6.36

541.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 COP 6,234

$1.22 E£64.3

43.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 11.4K

$2.97 E£156

7.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,780

$0.86 E£45.36

23.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,643

$0.73 E£38.17

78.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,911

$0.65 E£34.09

112.31%

Eggs

$2.21 COP 7,883

$1.45 E£76.4

52.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.52 COP 16.1K

$3.95 E£208

14.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 COP 20.7K

$4.46 E£235

30.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 32.0K

$9.80 E£516

-8.47%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 COP 8,157

$1.43 E£75.3

60.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,779

$0.55 E£28.84

92.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 COP 5,394

$0.42 E£22.27

259.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,854

$0.37 E£19.31

267.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,133

$0.38 E£19.98

205.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,161

$0.43 E£22.88

172.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 COP 2,951

$0.24 E£12.68

245.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 COP 3,034

$0.22 E£11.33

286.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.35 COP 8,397

$2.02 E£106

16.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.09 COP 39.6K

$4.97 E£262

123.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 COP 4,120

$1.42 E£74.5

-19.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,826

$2.69 E£141

-8.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,818

$0.19 E£10.10

315.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.85 COP 149.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,124

$0.56 E£29.56

157.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,772

$0.46 E£24.07

313.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.70 COP 27.5K

$2.01 E£106

283.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 COP 3,669

$0.31 E£16.15

232.26%

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

$17.7K COP 63.1M

$35.0K E£1.8M

-49.47%

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

$27.0K COP 96.4M

$33.8K E£1.8M

-20.06%

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

$81.4 COP 290.5K

$11.50 E£605

608.00%

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

$9.42 COP 33.6K

$5.66 E£298

66.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.77 COP 84.8K

$10.09 E£531

135.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.86 COP 92.3K

$22.05 E£1,160

17.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.34 COP 69.0K

Cinema Ticket

$4.05 COP 14.5K

$3.03 E£160

33.66%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$88.1 E£4,635

254.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,067 COP 21.6M

$1,870 E£98.4K

224.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 COP 210.0K

$28.03 E£1,475

109.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.82 COP 117.1K

$48.65 E£2,560

-32.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 COP 358.5K

$106 E£5,601

-5.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 COP 379.2K

$51.0 E£2,685

108.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 COP 1.7M

$188 E£9,884

160.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 COP 1.3M

$100 E£5,278

269.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$312 E£16.4K

168.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 COP 2.6M

$176 E£9,264

305.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,952 COP 10.5M

$764 E£40.2K

286.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,394 COP 5.0M

$434 E£22.9K

220.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$532 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: April 20, 2026

Last update for Al-hawamidiyah: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $490 in Medellin versus $188 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 in Medellin versus $16 in Al-hawamidiyah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $190 vs $130 – 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 121% 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 $1,544 per month in Medellin and $698 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 47% 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 $465, than in Medellin at $1,030. 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 $465 versus $1,030 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.