Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Al Kharijah Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Al Kharijah

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,030 per month in Medellin vs $456 in Al Kharijah, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,586 per month in Medellin vs $728 in Al Kharijah, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,143 per month in Medellin vs $1,000 in Al Kharijah, rent included.

Medellin costs about 126% more than Al Kharijah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Medellin and Al Kharijah are more affordable than the global median – Medellin 23% lower, Al Kharijah 66% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.1K

$3.59 E£189

64.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.17 COP 118.3K

$15.69 E£825

111.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.25 COP 25.9K

$4.66 E£245

55.58%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,118

$1.45 E£76.5

17.93%

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

$1.09 COP 3,903

$0.31 E£16.34

251.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,734

$0.10 E£5.27

670.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.75 COP 6,234

$1.21 E£63.7

44.63%

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

$0.90 E£47.09

17.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,643

$0.58 E£30.38

124.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,911

$0.65 E£34.00

112.31%

Eggs

$2.21 COP 7,883

$1.39 E£72.9

58.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.52 COP 16.1K

$3.27 E£172

38.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 COP 20.7K

$4.37 E£230

32.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 32.0K

$8.62 E£454

4.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 COP 8,157

$1.47 E£77.5

55.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,779

$0.54 E£28.67

96.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.51 COP 5,394

$0.43 E£22.58

251.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,854

$0.40 E£20.91

240.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,133

$0.37 E£19.53

213.51%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,161

$0.44 E£23.20

165.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.83 COP 2,951

$0.24 E£12.66

245.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 COP 3,034

$0.22 E£11.35

286.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.35 COP 8,397

$2.01 E£106

16.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.09 COP 39.6K

$5.45 E£287

103.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 COP 4,120

$1.32 E£69.3

-12.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,826

$1.88 E£99.1

31.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,818

$0.21 E£10.84

276.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.85 COP 149.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,124

$0.41 E£21.57

251.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,772

$0.31 E£16.37

512.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.70 COP 27.5K

$2.03 E£107

279.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 COP 3,669

$0.31 E£16.07

232.26%

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

$17.7K COP 63.1M

$36.2K E£1.9M

-51.10%

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

$27.0K COP 96.4M

$33.7K E£1.8M

-19.83%

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

$81.4 COP 290.5K

$12.07 E£635

574.57%

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

$9.42 COP 33.6K

$6.31 E£332

49.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.77 COP 84.8K

$10.52 E£554

125.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.86 COP 92.3K

$21.81 E£1,147

18.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.34 COP 69.0K

Cinema Ticket

$4.05 COP 14.5K

$2.92 E£154

38.70%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$88.9 E£4,674

251.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,067 COP 21.6M

$1,855 E£97.6K

226.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 COP 210.0K

$27.13 E£1,427

116.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.82 COP 117.1K

$49.04 E£2,580

-33.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 COP 358.5K

$108 E£5,669

-6.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 COP 379.2K

$49.82 E£2,621

113.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$490 COP 1.7M

$188 E£9,900

160.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 COP 1.3M

$101 E£5,322

266.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$309 E£16.2K

171.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$715 COP 2.6M

$181 E£9,515

295.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,952 COP 10.5M

$792 E£41.7K

272.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,394 COP 5.0M

$431 E£22.7K

223.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$532 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

16.67

-19.44%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 20, 2026

Last update for Al Kharijah: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $490 in Medellin versus $188 in Al Kharijah. 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 Kharijah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $190 vs $122 – making Al Kharijah 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 Kharijah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 126%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,544 per month in Medellin and $684 in Al Kharijah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Al Kharijah, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,030 in Medellin and $456 in Al Kharijah. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $312 per month in Medellin and $88.9 in Al Kharijah. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Al Kharijah, where all-in costs run around $456, than in Medellin at $1,030. In Al Kharijah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

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 Kharijah. 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.