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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,034 in Medellin versus $679 in Al Kufah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,577 in Medellin versus $1,052 in Al Kufah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,120 in Medellin versus $1,425 in Al Kufah.

Living in Medellin is roughly 52% more expensive than Al Kufah, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Al Kufah 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$5.28 IQD 6,919

12.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$35.99 IQD 47.1K

-9.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$7.69 IQD 10.1K

-6.37%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$3.11 IQD 4,079

-45.34%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$0.39 IQD 516

182.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.20 IQD 262

260.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$3.35 IQD 4,392

-50.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$2.95 IQD 3,861

5.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$1.11 IQD 1,457

-4.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$0.61 IQD 794

104.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$1.64 IQD 2,151

-15.24%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$1.78 IQD 2,334

26.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$2.32 IQD 3,035

86.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$3.04 IQD 3,983

92.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$9.75 IQD 12.8K

-9.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$0.52 IQD 686

330.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$0.99 IQD 1,291

9.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$0.67 IQD 882

128.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$0.49 IQD 643

179.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$0.38 IQD 492

197.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$0.31 IQD 403

261.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$0.66 IQD 867

28.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$0.45 IQD 586

102.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$2.01 IQD 2,634

15.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$13.79 IQD 18.1K

-19.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$1.80 IQD 2,353

-33.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$2.08 IQD 2,720

13.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$0.35 IQD 458

125.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

$30.80 IQD 40.3K

33.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$2.36 IQD 3,090

-38.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$1.54 IQD 2,021

24.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$7.63 IQD 9,993

5.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$0.54 IQD 711

74.07%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$19.8K IQD 26.0M

-9.53%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$19.8K IQD 26.0M

34.98%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$40.64 IQD 53.2K

106.59%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$25.83 IQD 33.8K

-62.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$22.68 IQD 29.7K

6.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$25.24 IQD 33.1K

2.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

$16.58 IQD 21.7K

14.84%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$7.46 IQD 9,772

-47.45%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$88.3 IQD 115.7K

246.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$2,403 IQD 3.1M

146.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$21.19 IQD 27.8K

173.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$30.53 IQD 40.0K

4.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$19.61 IQD 25.7K

409.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$28.02 IQD 36.7K

282.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$214 IQD 280.2K

127.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$181 IQD 237.3K

103.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$432 IQD 566.5K

90.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$287 IQD 376.6K

149.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$3,265 IQD 4.3M

-10.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

$1,674 IQD 2.2M

-15.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

$768 IQD 1.0M

-29.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

5.67

136.86%

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

Last update for Medellin: April 27, 2026

Last update for Al Kufah: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Medellin and $214 in Al Kufah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al Kufah pays 41% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $36.00 in Al Kufah. Groceries flip the comparison at $190 vs $146, with Al Kufah 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 Kufah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al Kufah is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around. The 52% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Al Kufah earns 41% less. 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: $487 in Medellin versus $214 in Al Kufah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Al Kufah – a meal for two runs $36.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $1,034 per month in Medellin versus $679 in Al Kufah – a 52% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $679 in Al Kufah versus $1,034 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Al Kufah but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Al Kufah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Al Kufah 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 Kufah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.