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: $1,681 in Medellin versus $617 in Al-mawsil.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $827 in Al-mawsil.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,038 in Al-mawsil.

Living in Medellin is roughly 173% more expensive than in Al-mawsil, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Al-mawsil is 55% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$7.55 IQD 9,891

6.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$12.36 IQD 16.2K

287.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$5.61 IQD 7,344

76.29%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$0.75 IQD 981

317.33%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$0.37 IQD 484

416.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.19 IQD 252

694.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$0.97 IQD 1,265

221.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$1.51 IQD 1,982

280.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$0.78 IQD 1,015

84.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$0.73 IQD 959

241.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$0.62 IQD 815

185.48%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$1.13 IQD 1,482

161.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$7.97 IQD 10.4K

26.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$3.48 IQD 4,551

190.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$9.22 IQD 12.1K

55.10%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$0.73 IQD 956

467.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$0.74 IQD 965

117.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$0.60 IQD 781

275.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$0.28 IQD 368

703.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$0.32 IQD 425

537.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$0.37 IQD 482

316.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$0.78 IQD 1,028

50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.59 IQD 772

122.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$1.87 IQD 2,444

108.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$12.38 IQD 16.2K

13.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$1.69 IQD 2,210

2.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$2.08 IQD 2,720

37.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

$0.39 IQD 514

212.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$30.48 IQD 39.9K

164.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$1.85 IQD 2,426

-29.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$1.82 IQD 2,382

20.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$4.54 IQD 5,945

91.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$0.33 IQD 430

315.15%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$15.3K IQD 20.0M

82.50%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$17.8K IQD 23.3M

101.32%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$109 IQD 142.3K

63.14%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$13.97 IQD 18.3K

-0.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$26.34 IQD 34.5K

12.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$23.02 IQD 30.1K

94.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$7.44 IQD 9,736

130.11%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$7.81 IQD 10.2K

-14.85%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$306 IQD 401.0K

165.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$688 IQD 900.4K

1236.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$19.01 IQD 24.9K

370.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$15.44 IQD 20.2K

281.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$70.5 IQD 92.3K

95.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$18.06 IQD 23.6K

465.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$113 IQD 148.3K

837.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$76.3 IQD 100.0K

768.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$301 IQD 393.7K

528.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$608 IQD 795.7K

11.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

2.53

332.41%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Al-mawsil: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $113 in Al-mawsil. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 12% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $12.00 in Al-mawsil for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $152 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, Sport & Entertainment. The 173% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 12% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,062 in Medellin versus $113 in Al-mawsil. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $306 in Al-mawsil. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 100% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $617 in Al-mawsil versus $1,681 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 173% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.