Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Al Muharraq Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Al Muharraq

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $1,103 in Al Muharraq.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $1,642 in Al Muharraq.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $2,181 in Al Muharraq.

Living in Medellin is roughly 52% more expensive than in Al Muharraq, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, Al Muharraq is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$2.61 BHD 0.98

207.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$26.60 BHD 10.02

79.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$6.04 BHD 2.28

63.74%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$3.97 BHD 1.50

-21.16%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$0.90 BHD 0.34

112.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.32 BHD 0.12

371.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$6.72 BHD 2.53

-53.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$6.81 BHD 2.57

-15.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.35 BHD 0.51

6.67%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$1.11 BHD 0.42

124.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$2.36 BHD 0.89

-25.00%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$2.21 BHD 0.83

33.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$3.61 BHD 1.36

178.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$4.75 BHD 1.79

113.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$8.56 BHD 3.23

67.06%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$1.04 BHD 0.39

298.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.87 BHD 0.71

-13.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$1.09 BHD 0.41

106.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$1.43 BHD 0.54

57.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$1.06 BHD 0.40

92.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$0.51 BHD 0.19

201.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$0.54 BHD 0.21

116.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.51 BHD 0.19

156.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$5.29 BHD 2.00

-26.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$18.79 BHD 7.08

-25.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$3.64 BHD 1.37

-52.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$2.71 BHD 1.02

5.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$5.45 BHD 2.05

-75.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$1.35 BHD 0.51

62.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$5.20 BHD 1.96

67.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$0.50 BHD 0.19

174.00%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$36.8K BHD 13.9K

-24.39%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$20.5K BHD 7,720

74.65%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$155 BHD 58.3

14.61%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$21.54 BHD 8.12

-35.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$35.72 BHD 13.46

-16.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$10.71 BHD 4.04

-37.91%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$489 BHD 184

66.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$11.1K BHD 4,196

-17.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$50.4 BHD 18.98

77.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$58.1 BHD 21.88

1.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$86.9 BHD 32.75

59.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$89.4 BHD 33.68

14.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$463 BHD 175

129.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$372 BHD 140

78.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$1,006 BHD 379

87.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

$734 BHD 277

39.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

$1,967 BHD 741

112.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

$1,565 BHD 590

6.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.1M

$1,813 BHD 683

-62.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

6.21

76.17%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Al Muharraq: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $463 in Al Muharraq. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al Muharraq pays 168% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $27.00 in Al Muharraq for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $205 per month, with Al Muharraq 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 Muharraq: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Al Muharraq differ by about 52% in total monthly costs ($1,681 vs $1,103 including rent). Al Muharraq is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 168% lower in Al Muharraq. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,062 in Medellin versus $463 in Al Muharraq. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,681 per month in Medellin versus $1,103 in Al Muharraq – a 52% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,103 in Al Muharraq versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Al Muharraq but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Al Muharraq 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 Muharraq gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.