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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $691 in Al-miqdadiyah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $1,085 in Al-miqdadiyah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $1,479 in Al-miqdadiyah.

Living in Medellin is roughly 138% more expensive than in Al-miqdadiyah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Al-miqdadiyah is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$7.59 IQD 9,945

5.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$43.52 IQD 57.0K

10.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$8.38 IQD 11.0K

12.41%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$3.76 IQD 4,920

-21.81%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$1.04 IQD 1,357

78.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.45 IQD 591

224.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$6.13 IQD 8,034

-47.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$4.65 IQD 6,094

22.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.28 IQD 1,678

12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$0.77 IQD 1,013

211.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$1.76 IQD 2,300

-3.41%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$1.84 IQD 2,415

57.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$8.33 IQD 10.9K

20.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$5.54 IQD 7,254

79.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$14.79 IQD 19.4K

-3.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$1.15 IQD 1,505

246.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.10 IQD 1,446

43.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$1.19 IQD 1,555

80.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$0.82 IQD 1,070

180.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$0.76 IQD 993

163.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$0.69 IQD 905

118.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$0.74 IQD 964

62.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.59 IQD 776

116.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$2.42 IQD 3,165

58.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$12.69 IQD 16.6K

10.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$1.63 IQD 2,133

4.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$2.08 IQD 2,727

31.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$1.86 IQD 2,442

-29.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$1.83 IQD 2,400

18.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$6.54 IQD 8,564

26.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$0.62 IQD 813

119.35%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$18.1K IQD 23.7M

51.54%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$20.4K IQD 26.7M

79.50%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$130 IQD 170.0K

29.95%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$13.90 IQD 18.2K

-2.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$27.70 IQD 36.3K

2.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$11.23 IQD 14.7K

-40.78%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$312 IQD 409.2K

157.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$3,084 IQD 4.0M

198.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$31.12 IQD 40.8K

180.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$44.33 IQD 58.1K

33.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$70.1 IQD 91.7K

98.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$69.2 IQD 90.6K

47.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

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 7, 2026

Last update for Al-miqdadiyah: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $44.00 in Al-miqdadiyah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $205 per month, with Al-miqdadiyah 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-miqdadiyah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Al-miqdadiyah differ by about 138% in total monthly costs ($1,641 vs $691 including rent). Al-miqdadiyah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,462 in Medellin and $1,036 in Al-miqdadiyah to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 47% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,641 per month in Medellin versus $691 in Al-miqdadiyah – a 138% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $691 in Al-miqdadiyah versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Al-miqdadiyah but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Al-miqdadiyah 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-miqdadiyah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 138% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.