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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $896 in Al-miqdadiyah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,348 in Al-miqdadiyah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $1,800 in Al-miqdadiyah.

Living in Medellin is roughly 13% more expensive than Al-miqdadiyah, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Al-miqdadiyah 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$7.55 IQD 9,882

-20.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.4K

$23.17 IQD 30.3K

41.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$9.02 IQD 11.8K

-21.40%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,115

$3.25 IQD 4,259

-47.38%

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

$1.10 COP 3,924

$0.49 IQD 636

124.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,781

$0.20 IQD 262

290.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,997

$1.95 IQD 2,551

-13.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$2.06 IQD 2,701

49.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,906

$1.32 IQD 1,730

-17.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,508

$0.87 IQD 1,135

44.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,922

$1.80 IQD 2,354

-23.33%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,827

$1.88 IQD 2,466

16.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$7.48 IQD 9,794

-41.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$4.61 IQD 6,032

22.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.8K

$14.03 IQD 18.4K

-36.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,349

$1.19 IQD 1,553

96.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,777

$1.19 IQD 1,556

-10.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,374

$1.19 IQD 1,554

26.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,924

$0.80 IQD 1,052

72.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,111

$0.71 IQD 929

61.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,155

$0.69 IQD 909

68.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,182

$0.72 IQD 939

23.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,997

$0.53 IQD 690

58.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,145

$2.72 IQD 3,568

-16.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.0K

$12.30 IQD 16.1K

-13.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,284

$1.43 IQD 1,867

-16.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,824

$2.03 IQD 2,655

21.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,056

$0.36 IQD 475

138.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.9K

$31.57 IQD 41.3K

31.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,264

$2.25 IQD 2,952

-34.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,009

$2.26 IQD 2,959

-13.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$6.93 IQD 9,081

11.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,409

$0.68 IQD 891

39.71%

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

$18.1K COP 64.7M

$19.3K IQD 25.3M

-6.01%

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

$26.5K COP 94.6M

$20.5K IQD 26.8M

29.24%

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

$82.3 COP 293.7K

$102 IQD 134.1K

-19.68%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$17.73 IQD 23.2K

-46.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.5K

$29.34 IQD 38.4K

-17.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.4K

$37.27 IQD 48.8K

-30.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.9K

$16.75 IQD 21.9K

13.43%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$11.43 IQD 15.0K

-65.62%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$264 IQD 345.2K

17.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$3,234 IQD 4.2M

84.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.5K

$32.47 IQD 42.5K

80.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.5K

$49.77 IQD 65.2K

-35.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 366.4K

$81.6 IQD 106.8K

25.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 387.2K

$76.0 IQD 99.6K

42.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$241 IQD 315.8K

97.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$180 IQD 235.3K

110.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$591 IQD 773.7K

41.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$344 IQD 451.1K

110.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

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-miqdadiyah: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $241 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 $188 vs $194, 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 13% in total monthly costs ($1,013 vs $896 including rent). Al-miqdadiyah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,519 in Medellin and $1,344 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: $476 in Medellin versus $241 in Al-miqdadiyah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $264 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 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $896 in Al-miqdadiyah versus $1,013 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 13% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.