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 $1,028 per month in Medellin vs $466 in Al Kharijah, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,586 per month in Medellin vs $740 in Al Kharijah, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,144 per month in Medellin vs $1,013 in Al Kharijah, rent included.

Medellin costs about 121% 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 65% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.00 COP 20.6K

$3.46 E£173

73.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.84 COP 112.5K

$16.03 E£803

104.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.42 COP 25.4K

$4.65 E£233

59.57%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,659

$1.44 E£72.1

14.58%

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

$1.07 COP 3,663

$0.31 E£15.65

245.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.76 COP 2,607

$0.12 E£6.01

533.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,908

$1.22 E£61.1

40.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 COP 11.0K

$2.98 E£149

7.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,597

$0.91 E£45.42

15.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,479

$0.57 E£28.75

129.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.34 COP 4,591

$0.70 E£35.01

91.43%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,521

$1.39 E£69.5

57.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.41 COP 15.1K

$3.41 E£171

29.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.69 COP 19.5K

$4.33 E£217

31.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.52 COP 29.2K

$8.67 E£434

-1.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,023

$1.41 E£70.5

65.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,804

$0.58 E£28.84

91.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,210

$0.42 E£21.08

261.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,680

$0.36 E£18.11

280.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 3,950

$0.40 E£20.23

187.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 COP 4,043

$0.41 E£20.50

187.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.84 COP 2,885

$0.22 E£10.96

281.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.86 COP 2,931

$0.18 E£9.09

377.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.26 COP 7,753

$1.90 E£95.3

18.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.60 COP 39.8K

$5.52 E£276

110.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,109

$1.30 E£64.9

-7.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 8,484

$1.85 E£92.4

34.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,721

$0.18 E£9.12

338.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.83 COP 139.9K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,023

$0.39 E£19.40

276.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,568

$0.29 E£14.47

562.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.77 COP 26.6K

$2.01 E£101

286.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,464

$0.33 E£16.73

206.06%

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

$17.7K COP 60.5M

$35.4K E£1.8M

-50.17%

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

$26.5K COP 90.7M

$32.6K E£1.6M

-18.84%

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

$81.1 COP 277.9K

$11.95 E£599

578.66%

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

$9.43 COP 32.3K

$6.28 E£314

50.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.86 COP 81.8K

$10.40 E£521

129.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.99 COP 89.1K

$22.40 E£1,122

16.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.71 COP 64.1K

Cinema Ticket

$4.09 COP 14.0K

$2.92 E£146

40.07%

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

$315 COP 1.1M

$90.3 E£4,520

248.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,022 COP 20.6M

$1,816 E£90.9K

231.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 COP 204.6K

$27.44 E£1,374

117.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.97 COP 109.6K

$47.77 E£2,392

-33.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 346.9K

$110 E£5,484

-7.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 COP 360.3K

$49.92 E£2,499

110.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$485 COP 1.7M

$191 E£9,583

153.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$365 COP 1.3M

$97.7 E£4,890

273.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$827 COP 2.8M

$313 E£15.7K

164.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.5M

$178 E£8,899

310.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,992 COP 10.3M

$719 E£36.0K

315.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,314 COP 4.5M

$377 E£18.9K

248.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$551 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: June 15, 2026

Last update for Al Kharijah: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $485 in Medellin versus $191 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 $33.00 in Medellin versus $16.00 in Al Kharijah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $190 vs $121 – 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 121%, 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 $1,542 per month in Medellin and $699 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 $1,028 in Medellin and $466 in Al Kharijah. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $315 per month in Medellin and $90.3 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 $466, than in Medellin at $1,028. 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.