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: $1,031 in Medellin versus $867 in Al-miqdadiyah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $1,334 in Al-miqdadiyah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $1,800 in Al-miqdadiyah.

Living in Medellin is roughly 19% more expensive than in Al-miqdadiyah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Al-miqdadiyah 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$7.74 IQD 10.1K

-20.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$23.30 IQD 30.5K

39.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$8.61 IQD 11.3K

-14.75%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,600

$3.15 IQD 4,123

-45.40%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$0.52 IQD 683

101.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$0.20 IQD 262

285.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,488

$1.94 IQD 2,535

-12.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$2.04 IQD 2,670

55.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$1.32 IQD 1,726

-20.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$0.80 IQD 1,046

62.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$1.80 IQD 2,362

-22.22%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,047

$1.91 IQD 2,506

13.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$7.50 IQD 9,820

-41.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$4.81 IQD 6,297

22.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$13.95 IQD 18.3K

-38.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,426

$1.20 IQD 1,575

90.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,604

$1.14 IQD 1,497

-2.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,983

$1.18 IQD 1,541

29.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$0.81 IQD 1,057

66.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$0.72 IQD 948

56.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$0.71 IQD 932

59.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$0.72 IQD 942

18.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$0.52 IQD 682

75.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,630

$2.70 IQD 3,535

-13.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$12.57 IQD 16.5K

-1.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$1.37 IQD 1,794

-12.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$2.03 IQD 2,655

22.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,728

$0.37 IQD 480

127.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

$30.79 IQD 40.3K

31.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$2.24 IQD 2,937

-36.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$2.33 IQD 3,047

-17.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$7.08 IQD 9,270

8.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$0.69 IQD 899

43.48%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$18.9K IQD 24.7M

-4.41%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$20.9K IQD 27.3M

27.51%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$103 IQD 134.5K

-21.31%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$17.78 IQD 23.3K

-44.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$29.62 IQD 38.8K

-18.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.7K

$36.50 IQD 47.8K

-31.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$16.77 IQD 22.0K

14.19%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$11.63 IQD 15.2K

-65.78%

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

$305 COP 993.5K

$269 IQD 352.6K

13.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$3,226 IQD 4.2M

87.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$32.94 IQD 43.1K

76.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$49.23 IQD 64.5K

-34.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$83.8 IQD 109.7K

20.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$77.3 IQD 101.2K

39.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$240 IQD 313.9K

98.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$182 IQD 238.1K

106.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$588 IQD 769.4K

43.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$346 IQD 452.7K

111.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Al-miqdadiyah: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $240 in Al-miqdadiyah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $23.00 in Al-miqdadiyah. Groceries flip the comparison at $193 vs $195, with Medellin 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-miqdadiyah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Al-miqdadiyah differ by about 19% in total monthly costs ($1,031 vs $867 including rent). Al-miqdadiyah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,546 in Medellin and $1,301 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $477 in Medellin versus $240 in Al-miqdadiyah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $305 in Medellin versus $269 in Al-miqdadiyah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 1% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $867 in Al-miqdadiyah versus $1,031 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 19% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.