Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Al-mawsil

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-mawsil: $598 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $12,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
29

Cost of Living Index in Al-mawsil
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Al-mawsil Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Al-mawsil

🇮🇶 Iraq

$598

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Al-mawsil

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Al-mawsil actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $598 in Al-mawsil.

Medellin $1,639
Al-mawsil $598

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $903 in Al-mawsil.

Medellin $2,413
Al-mawsil $903

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $1,207 in Al-mawsil.

Medellin $3,186
Al-mawsil $1,207

Living in Medellin is roughly 174% more expensive than in Al-mawsil, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Al-mawsil is 56% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$4.07 IQD 6,148

98.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.7K

$10.40 IQD 15.7K

352.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.6K

$5.01 IQD 7,571

89.62%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,722

$0.64 IQD 974

370.31%

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

$1.80 COP 5,801

$0.35 IQD 522

414.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,554

$0.18 IQD 279

683.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

$0.87 IQD 1,311

265.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.5K

$1.36 IQD 2,051

322.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,869

$0.64 IQD 970

135.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,667

$0.65 IQD 978

266.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,712

$0.55 IQD 830

221.82%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,320

$0.95 IQD 1,440

204.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$7.19 IQD 10.9K

41.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.8K

$2.88 IQD 4,353

242.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

$8.14 IQD 12.3K

71.87%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$0.64 IQD 963

520.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,005

$0.64 IQD 972

142.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,039

$0.48 IQD 728

354.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,041

$0.22 IQD 331

890.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,328

$0.25 IQD 375

684.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,125

$0.31 IQD 474

412.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,694

$0.60 IQD 911

91.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,009

$0.49 IQD 740

153.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$1.61 IQD 2,439

145.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.1K

$10.94 IQD 16.5K

25.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,352

$1.45 IQD 2,195

14.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,281

$1.80 IQD 2,714

25.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,766

$0.31 IQD 475

277.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.5K

$26.19 IQD 39.6K

195.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,089

$1.61 IQD 2,438

-21.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,603

$1.60 IQD 2,420

28.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$3.98 IQD 6,021

114.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,343

$0.31 IQD 472

335.48%

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

$34.1K COP 109.8M

$13.0K IQD 19.7M

161.56%

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

$34.7K COP 111.8M

$15.3K IQD 23.2M

125.95%

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

$170 COP 547.0K

$93.7 IQD 141.5K

81.13%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$12.00 IQD 18.1K

12.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.5K

$22.95 IQD 34.7K

22.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 140.9K

$37.48 IQD 56.6K

16.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.4K

$6.48 IQD 9,784

165.28%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$6.42 IQD 9,708

7.63%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$301 IQD 455.1K

164.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$604 IQD 912.4K

1408.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.2K

$16.49 IQD 24.9K

413.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 186.9K

$12.99 IQD 19.6K

346.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.2K

$60.0 IQD 90.6K

125.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.6K

$15.65 IQD 23.6K

525.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$211 IQD 318.8K

472.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$139 IQD 209.6K

362.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$369 IQD 557.1K

449.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$309 IQD 466.9K

227.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.4M

$851 IQD 1.3M

389.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$435 IQD 657.4K

339.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$521 IQD 787.2K

26.13%

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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Al-mawsil: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Al-mawsil

$139 23.2% 78.4% $503

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Al-mawsil

$132 22% 55.6% $165

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Al-mawsil

$129 21.5% 39.1% $83

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Al-mawsil

$64 10.8% 62% $105

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Al-mawsil

$47 7.9% 72% $122

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Al-mawsil

$37 6.2% 60.4% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Al-mawsil

$50 8.4% 12.5% $7.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $211 in Al-mawsil. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 26% 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: $47 in Medellin vs $10 in Al-mawsil for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $132 per month, with Al-mawsil cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇮🇶 Al-mawsil

🕒 Local time

14:27 2:27 PM

22:27 10:27 PM

8 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

1,683,000

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.93 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IQD, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,600 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,687 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.93 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Medellin Al-mawsil 12,080 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Al-mawsil

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 about 64% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 26% 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: $1,208 in Medellin versus $211 in Al-mawsil. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $797 in Medellin versus $301 in Al-mawsil. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 125% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $598 in Al-mawsil versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $1,000 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.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Al-mawsil gentler on the wallet – expenses run 64% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.