Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Al Hillah

For one person, living is cheaper in Al Hillah: $693 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Al Hillah
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Al Hillah Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Al Hillah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$693

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Al Hillah

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Al Hillah actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $693 in Al Hillah, rent included.

Medellin $1,639
Al Hillah $693

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,067 in Al Hillah, rent included.

Medellin $2,413
Al Hillah $1,067

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,442 in Al Hillah, rent included.

Medellin $3,186
Al Hillah $1,442

Medellin costs about 137% more than Al Hillah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Al Hillah is 49% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.6K

$4.69 IQD 7,078

72.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.9K

$26.52 IQD 40.0K

77.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$5.51 IQD 8,321

72.41%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,540

$2.69 IQD 4,066

11.90%

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

$1.80 COP 5,693

$0.34 IQD 519

429.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,469

$0.20 IQD 309

605.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.0K

$2.73 IQD 4,118

16.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.2K

$3.35 IQD 5,060

71.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,778

$0.97 IQD 1,462

55.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,524

$0.64 IQD 962

271.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,606

$1.38 IQD 2,079

28.26%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,146

$1.54 IQD 2,328

87.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.2K

$3.36 IQD 5,080

203.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.2K

$4.01 IQD 6,061

146.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.3K

$12.29 IQD 18.6K

13.83%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.6K

$0.96 IQD 1,449

313.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,911

$0.95 IQD 1,442

63.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,907

$0.90 IQD 1,366

142.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,910

$0.68 IQD 1,031

220.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,210

$0.58 IQD 883

237.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,029

$0.60 IQD 911

165.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,625

$0.52 IQD 785

121.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,934

$0.52 IQD 779

138.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$1.66 IQD 2,513

138.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.3K

$11.71 IQD 17.7K

16.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,252

$1.90 IQD 2,874

-12.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,145

$1.96 IQD 2,964

15.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,696

$0.34 IQD 517

244.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 244.8K

$55.0 IQD 83.1K

40.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,013

$1.96 IQD 2,967

-35.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,480

$1.28 IQD 1,937

60.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.1K

$2.98 IQD 4,503

186.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,262

$0.50 IQD 756

170.00%

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

$34.1K COP 107.8M

$14.8K IQD 22.4M

129.59%

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

$34.7K COP 109.7M

$16.6K IQD 25.1M

108.86%

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

$170 COP 536.8K

$65.1 IQD 98.3K

160.72%

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

$13.55 COP 42.9K

$13.34 IQD 20.1K

1.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.8K

$33.35 IQD 50.4K

-15.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 138.3K

$19.62 IQD 29.6K

122.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.4K

$16.36 IQD 24.7K

5.07%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.9K

$6.44 IQD 9,717

7.30%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$81.2 IQD 122.5K

881.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.8M

$664 IQD 1.0M

1272.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 268.1K

$18.98 IQD 28.7K

346.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 183.4K

$21.34 IQD 32.2K

171.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 427.1K

$57.8 IQD 87.3K

133.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 309.7K

$42.36 IQD 64.0K

131.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$245 IQD 369.3K

393.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$151 IQD 228.5K

323.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$436 IQD 658.7K

364.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$258 IQD 389.5K

292.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.2M

$1,477 IQD 2.2M

182.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$483 IQD 728.9K

295.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$436 IQD 658.8K

50.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.12

165.53%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Al Hillah: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Al Hillah

$151 21.8% 76.4% $490

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Al Hillah

$160 23.2% 46% $137

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Al Hillah

$112 16.1% 47.1% $100

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Al Hillah

$109 15.7% 35.8% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Al Hillah

$63 9.1% 62.6% $106

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Al Hillah

$65 9.4% 30.8% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Al Hillah

$32 4.7% 43.5% $25

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,208 in Medellin versus $245 in Al Hillah. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 51% higher in Medellin, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin versus $27 in Al Hillah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $160 – making Al Hillah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇮🇶 Al Hillah

🕒 Local time

21:15 9:15 PM

05:15 5:15 AM

8 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

1,729,666

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.16 USD

10,000 COP = 2.84 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.95 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IQD, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,164 COP (10,000 COP = 3.16 USD). 1 EUR = 3,523 COP (10,000 COP = 2.84 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1,510 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,681 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.95 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Al Hillah 12,360 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Al Hillah

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Hillah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 137%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,039 in Al Hillah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Al Hillah, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $245 there versus $1,208 in Medellin.

Public transport costs about 29% less in Al Hillah. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Medellin and $81 in Al Hillah. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Al Hillah, where all-in costs run around $693, than in Medellin at $1,639. In Al Hillah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Al Hillah – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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