Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Al-mawsil Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Al-mawsil

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,013 in Medellin versus $734 in Al-mawsil.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,085 in Al-mawsil.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $1,437 in Al-mawsil.

Living in Medellin is roughly 38% more expensive than Al-mawsil, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Al-mawsil 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$7.47 IQD 9,781

-19.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.2K

$12.10 IQD 15.8K

171.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$5.87 IQD 7,683

20.78%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,105

$0.75 IQD 977

128.00%

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

$1.10 COP 3,918

$0.36 IQD 473

205.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,776

$0.17 IQD 218

358.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,987

$0.91 IQD 1,198

84.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 10.9K

$1.48 IQD 1,944

107.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,899

$0.92 IQD 1,207

18.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,500

$0.75 IQD 976

68.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,914

$1.05 IQD 1,378

31.43%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,813

$1.97 IQD 2,578

11.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$7.27 IQD 9,521

-39.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$3.30 IQD 4,326

70.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.7K

$7.12 IQD 9,320

24.86%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,334

$0.92 IQD 1,203

154.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,771

$0.86 IQD 1,126

23.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,365

$0.77 IQD 1,012

94.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,915

$0.37 IQD 479

272.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,104

$0.41 IQD 543

180.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,148

$0.46 IQD 601

152.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,176

$0.52 IQD 679

71.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,992

$0.48 IQD 635

75.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,131

$1.90 IQD 2,492

20.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 37.9K

$12.23 IQD 16.0K

-13.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,276

$1.37 IQD 1,799

-12.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,809

$1.92 IQD 2,518

28.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,051

$0.37 IQD 482

132.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.6K

$31.22 IQD 40.9K

32.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,255

$2.18 IQD 2,850

-32.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 6,997

$2.02 IQD 2,646

-2.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$3.35 IQD 4,391

131.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,403

$0.35 IQD 461

171.43%

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

$18.1K COP 64.6M

$15.6K IQD 20.4M

16.17%

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

$26.5K COP 94.4M

$17.7K IQD 23.2M

49.78%

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

$82.3 COP 293.2K

$99.0 IQD 129.6K

-16.90%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$17.96 IQD 23.5K

-47.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.4K

$26.95 IQD 35.3K

-10.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.3K

$23.87 IQD 31.3K

8.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.7K

$18.75 IQD 24.6K

1.33%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$11.49 IQD 15.0K

-65.80%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$198 IQD 258.7K

56.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$701 IQD 917.6K

751.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.1K

$14.06 IQD 18.4K

317.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.3K

$17.51 IQD 22.9K

84.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 365.7K

$82.0 IQD 107.4K

25.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 386.5K

$19.05 IQD 24.9K

469.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$241 IQD 316.0K

97.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$177 IQD 231.4K

114.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$585 IQD 765.8K

43.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$349 IQD 457.4K

107.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$607 IQD 795.3K

-15.73%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Al-mawsil: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $241 in Al-mawsil. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al-mawsil pays 19% 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 $12.00 in Al-mawsil for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $148 per month, with Al-mawsil cheaper across the board.

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-mawsil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al-mawsil is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around. The 38% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Al-mawsil earns 19% 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: $476 in Medellin versus $241 in Al-mawsil. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $198 in Al-mawsil. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $734 in Al-mawsil versus $1,013 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Al-mawsil but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Al-mawsil the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Al-mawsil 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-mawsil gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.