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 $1,681 per month in Medellin vs $467 in Al-hawamidiyah, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,445 per month in Medellin vs $749 in Al-hawamidiyah, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,210 per month in Medellin vs $1,031 in Al-hawamidiyah, rent included.

Medellin costs about 260% more than Al-hawamidiyah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 23% above the global median, while Al-hawamidiyah is 66% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.4K

$4.31 E£224

86.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 152.0K

$16.23 E£845

194.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.4K

$4.78 E£249

106.90%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,937

$1.29 E£67.1

142.64%

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

$1.91 COP 6,058

$0.31 E£15.98

516.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,794

$0.10 E£5.39

1410.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,917

$1.38 E£71.7

126.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.3K

$2.91 E£152

97.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,587

$0.90 E£46.72

60.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,894

$0.76 E£39.36

227.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,631

$0.66 E£34.34

168.18%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,396

$1.21 E£63.2

144.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 32.0K

$3.68 E£192

173.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 32.1K

$4.31 E£225

134.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.4K

$9.41 E£490

51.97%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.1K

$1.59 E£82.6

160.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,106

$0.72 E£37.29

123.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,129

$0.53 E£27.70

324.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,150

$0.37 E£19.29

508.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,486

$0.27 E£14.20

655.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,873

$0.31 E£16.11

396.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,715

$0.29 E£15.26

303.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,148

$0.19 E£10.08

589.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.4K

$1.94 E£101

101.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.5K

$5.84 E£304

139.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,534

$1.28 E£66.6

35.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,112

$2.65 E£138

8.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,858

$0.21 E£10.94

480.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 255.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,155

$0.60 E£31.24

118.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,944

$0.45 E£23.27

386.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.7K

$1.95 E£102

346.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,334

$0.43 E£22.48

218.60%

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

$27.8K COP 88.4M

$32.5K E£1.7M

-14.46%

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

$35.8K COP 113.6M

$27.6K E£1.4M

29.38%

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

$177 COP 562.9K

$14.09 E£734

1158.34%

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

$13.88 COP 44.1K

$7.10 E£370

95.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 94.4K

$13.59 E£708

118.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 142.5K

$17.68 E£921

153.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.1K

$2.86 E£149

132.52%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$81.9 E£4,263

893.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.2M

$2,134 E£111.2K

330.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 284.1K

$32.49 E£1,692

175.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 187.2K

$43.46 E£2,263

35.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 438.8K

$122 E£6,357

13.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 324.2K

$53.9 E£2,809

89.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.4M

$140 E£7,290

658.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$74.7 E£3,888

787.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

$221 E£11.5K

752.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.3M

$158 E£8,227

550.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.3M

$821 E£42.7K

409.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

$402 E£20.9K

316.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.2M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

21.33

-48.71%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Al-hawamidiyah: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,062 in Medellin versus $140 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 $48.00 in Medellin versus $16.00 in Al-hawamidiyah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $305 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 260% 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 $2,521 per month in Medellin and $700 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 $48.00 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 135% 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 $467, than in Medellin at $1,681. 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 $467 versus $1,681 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.