Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Al Kazimiyah

For one person, living is cheaper in Al Kazimiyah: $668 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 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
32

Cost of Living Index in Al Kazimiyah
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Al Kazimiyah Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Al Kazimiyah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$668

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Kazimiyah actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $668 in Al Kazimiyah.

Medellin $1,639
Al Kazimiyah $668

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $1,012 in Al Kazimiyah.

Medellin $2,413
Al Kazimiyah $1,012

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $1,356 in Al Kazimiyah.

Medellin $3,186
Al Kazimiyah $1,356

Living in Medellin is roughly 146% more expensive than in Al Kazimiyah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Al Kazimiyah is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$4.17 IQD 6,294

94.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.7K

$19.25 IQD 29.1K

144.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.6K

$7.11 IQD 10.7K

33.61%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,722

$2.19 IQD 3,313

37.44%

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

$1.80 COP 5,801

$0.37 IQD 564

386.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,554

$0.20 IQD 296

605.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

$3.54 IQD 5,343

-10.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.5K

$2.82 IQD 4,264

103.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,869

$0.86 IQD 1,303

75.58%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,667

$0.62 IQD 931

283.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,712

$1.54 IQD 2,328

14.94%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,320

$1.46 IQD 2,205

97.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$4.38 IQD 6,614

132.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.8K

$3.58 IQD 5,402

175.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

$13.05 IQD 19.7K

7.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$1.10 IQD 1,656

260.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,005

$0.86 IQD 1,296

80.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,039

$0.97 IQD 1,459

124.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,041

$0.62 IQD 934

251.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,328

$0.59 IQD 893

232.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,125

$0.65 IQD 977

144.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,694

$0.62 IQD 932

85.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,009

$0.52 IQD 792

138.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$1.46 IQD 2,207

171.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.1K

$12.06 IQD 18.2K

13.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,352

$1.60 IQD 2,415

3.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,281

$1.65 IQD 2,487

36.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,766

$0.38 IQD 570

207.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,089

$1.97 IQD 2,979

-35.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,603

$1.19 IQD 1,804

72.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$5.97 IQD 9,014

43.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,343

$0.64 IQD 968

110.94%

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

$34.1K COP 109.8M

$18.1K IQD 27.4M

88.01%

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

$34.7K COP 111.8M

$19.1K IQD 28.8M

81.77%

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

$170 COP 547.0K

$81.9 IQD 123.8K

107.09%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$11.68 IQD 17.6K

16.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.5K

$25.31 IQD 38.2K

10.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 140.9K

$39.65 IQD 59.9K

10.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$8.96 IQD 13.5K

-22.88%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$152 IQD 229.6K

424.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$2,394 IQD 3.6M

280.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.2K

$22.57 IQD 34.1K

275.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 186.9K

$22.79 IQD 34.4K

154.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.2K

$53.3 IQD 80.6K

153.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.6K

$32.17 IQD 48.6K

204.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$234 IQD 354.1K

415.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$154 IQD 233.4K

315.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$322 IQD 486.0K

530.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$294 IQD 444.6K

243.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.4M

$984 IQD 1.5M

323.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$564 IQD 852.3K

238.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

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 Kazimiyah: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Al Kazimiyah

$154 23.1% 75.9% $487

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Al Kazimiyah

$162 24.2% 45.5% $135

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Al Kazimiyah

$119 17.8% 43.7% $92

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Al Kazimiyah

$107 16% 37.2% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Al Kazimiyah

$59 8.8% 65.1% $110

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Al Kazimiyah

$9.5 * 1.4% 89.9% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Al Kazimiyah

$58 8.6% 0.1% $0

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $234 in Al Kazimiyah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $19 in Al Kazimiyah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $162 per month, with Al Kazimiyah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇮🇶 Al Kazimiyah

🕒 Local time

02:18 2:18 AM

10:18 10:18 AM

8 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.91 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 31, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,611 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,692 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.91 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Al Kazimiyah 12,310 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Al Kazimiyah

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 Kazimiyah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al Kazimiyah is about 59% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $2,459 in Medellin and $1,001 in Al Kazimiyah to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,208 in Medellin versus $234 in Al Kazimiyah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $797 in Medellin versus $152 in Al Kazimiyah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Al Kazimiyah – a meal for two runs $19 versus $47 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $668 in Al Kazimiyah versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Al Kazimiyah but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Al Kazimiyah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.