Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Al-jahra' Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Al-jahra'

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $1,314 in Al-jahra'.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $2,258 in Al-jahra'.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $3,201 in Al-jahra'.

Living in Medellin is roughly 25% more expensive than in Al-jahra', driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Al-jahra' is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$12.84 KWD 3.94

-37.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.7K

$64.6 KWD 19.80

-25.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$9.08 KWD 2.79

3.74%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.16 KWD 0.97

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 KWD 1.52

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,045

$5.28 KWD 1.62

-44.32%

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

$1.86 COP 5,738

$0.72 KWD 0.22

158.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,481

$0.37 KWD 0.11

294.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,887

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,431

$1.60 KWD 0.49

-10.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,393

$1.53 KWD 0.47

56.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,230

$1.90 KWD 0.58

-10.53%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,901

$2.16 KWD 0.66

33.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 31.0K

$4.46 KWD 1.37

125.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$6.64 KWD 2.03

50.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$10.20 KWD 3.13

39.22%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$2.54 KWD 0.78

56.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,880

$1.85 KWD 0.57

-14.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,627

$1.81 KWD 0.55

18.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,082

$1.54 KWD 0.47

49.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,172

$1.37 KWD 0.42

45.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,648

$1.43 KWD 0.44

5.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,703

$2.31 KWD 0.71

-48.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,948

$0.54 KWD 0.17

137.04%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$3.29 KWD 1.01

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 KWD 0.33

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 KWD 0.43

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$2.69 KWD 0.82

42.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,259

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,444

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,836

$0.78 KWD 0.24

60.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,018

$4.76 KWD 1.46

-72.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,684

$3.27 KWD 1.00

-33.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$16.14 KWD 4.95

-48.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,174

$0.33 KWD 0.10

312.12%

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

$27.5K COP 84.6M

$21.4K KWD 6,567

28.27%

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

$36.5K COP 112.5M

$20.1K KWD 6,161

81.83%

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

$169 COP 519.5K

$19.70 KWD 6.04

756.45%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$22.97 KWD 7.04

-40.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$30.62 KWD 9.39

-7.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.8K

$96.4 KWD 29.55

-52.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$11.51 KWD 3.53

-42.22%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$306 KWD 93.9

162.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$9,349 KWD 2,866

-1.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 269.0K

$37.59 KWD 11.53

132.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.8K

$39.52 KWD 12.12

50.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.7K

$97.8 KWD 29.99

42.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.2K

$89.0 KWD 27.29

14.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$723 KWD 222

48.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$575 KWD 176

13.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$1,750 KWD 536

10.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$1,356 KWD 416

-22.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$2,986 KWD 915

-78.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.53

67.53%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Al-jahra': September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $723 in Al-jahra'. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al-jahra' pays 356% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $65.0 in Al-jahra'. Groceries flip the comparison at $300 vs $186, with Al-jahra' cheaper for home cooking.

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-jahra': Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al-jahra' is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around. The 25% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 356% lower in Al-jahra'. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,071 in Medellin versus $723 in Al-jahra'. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $803 in Medellin versus $306 in Al-jahra'. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Al-jahra' – a meal for two runs $65.0 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,314 in Al-jahra' versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Al-jahra' but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Al-jahra' the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Al-jahra' is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Al-jahra' gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.