Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Al Muharraq

For one person, living is cheaper in Al Muharraq: $1,083 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Al Muharraq, Bahrain
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Al Muharraq
🇧🇭 Bahrain
$1,083
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Al Muharraq

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 Muharraq actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $1,083 in Al Muharraq.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Al Muharraq $1,083

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $1,615 in Al Muharraq.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Al Muharraq $1,615

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $2,147 in Al Muharraq.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Al Muharraq $2,147

Living in Medellin is roughly 51% more expensive than in Al Muharraq, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Al Muharraq
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 26.1K
$2.58 BHD 0.96
213.57%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 151.9K
$26.49 BHD 9.91
77.61%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 30.7K
$5.98 BHD 2.24
58.86%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,735
$3.87 BHD 1.45
-22.22%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,809
$0.82 BHD 0.31
119.51%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,561
$0.30 BHD 0.11
370.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 10.3K
$6.66 BHD 2.49
-52.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.6K
$6.75 BHD 2.53
-14.81%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Al Muharraq
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,876
$1.37 BHD 0.51
10.22%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,678
$1.07 BHD 0.40
122.43%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,720
$2.37 BHD 0.89
-25.32%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,333
$2.28 BHD 0.85
26.75%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.9K
$3.76 BHD 1.41
171.01%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.9K
$4.87 BHD 1.82
102.67%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 45.2K
$8.74 BHD 3.27
60.07%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.8K
$1.08 BHD 0.40
267.59%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 5,012
$1.90 BHD 0.71
-18.42%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,048
$1.05 BHD 0.39
107.62%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 7,051
$1.39 BHD 0.52
56.83%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,337
$1.00 BHD 0.38
96.00%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,132
$0.51 BHD 0.19
211.76%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,699
$0.51 BHD 0.19
125.49%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 4,014
$0.55 BHD 0.20
125.45%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.8K
$5.25 BHD 1.96
-24.57%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 44.2K
$18.69 BHD 6.99
-26.81%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,359
$3.51 BHD 1.31
-52.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,291
$2.58 BHD 0.97
-12.40%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Al Muharraq
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,771
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 249.8K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 4,094
$5.19 BHD 1.94
-75.53%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,612
$1.29 BHD 0.48
58.91%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 27.6K
$5.15 BHD 1.93
66.02%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,349
$0.56 BHD 0.21
141.07%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 110.0M
$26.2K BHD 9,792
30.12%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 111.9M
$19.5K BHD 7,296
77.72%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Al Muharraq
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 547.8K
$155 BHD 57.9
9.64%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 43.8K
$21.39 BHD 8.00
-36.65%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 90.6K
$34.74 BHD 12.99
-19.20%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Al Muharraq
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 141.1K
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 55.5K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 22.3K
$10.62 BHD 3.97
-34.93%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Al Muharraq
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.6M
$617 BHD 231
29.16%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 29.4M
$10.9K BHD 4,076
-16.40%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Al Muharraq
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 273.5K
$50.9 BHD 19.04
66.44%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 187.2K
$58.1 BHD 21.71
-0.16%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 435.8K
$87.6 BHD 32.78
53.99%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 316.0K
$89.2 BHD 33.35
9.74%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Al Muharraq
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.9M
$465 BHD 174
159.52%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.1M
$369 BHD 138
74.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.5M
$993 BHD 372
104.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.3M
$733 BHD 274
37.99%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.5M
$2,011 BHD 752
107.39%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.2M
$1,563 BHD 585
22.18%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Al Muharraq
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
$1,765 BHD 660
-62.78%
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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Al Muharraq: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Al Muharraq
$369 42.6% $273
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Al Muharraq
$205 30.8% $92
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Al Muharraq
$211 0.2% $0.4
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Al Muharraq
$136 19.6% $33
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Al Muharraq
$129 23.9% $40
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Al Muharraq
$12 * 87.6% $82
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Al Muharraq
$21 * 63.1% $36

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $465 in Al Muharraq. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al Muharraq pays about 2.7 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $26 in Al Muharraq for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $205 per month, with Al Muharraq cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇧🇭 Al Muharraq
🕒 Local time
10:18 10:18 AM
18:18 6:18 PM
8 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
75,000
💱 Currency
Bahraini Dinar BHD .د.ب
Exchange rates and currency converter

BHD, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3,229 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,603 COP (10,000 COP = 2.78 EUR).

Bahraini Dinar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.374 BHD (1 BHD = 2.67 USD). 1 EUR = 0.417 BHD (1 BHD = 2.4 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Al Muharraq 13,190 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Al Muharraq

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 Muharraq: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Medellin and in Al Muharraq?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,639 in Medellin and $1,083 in Al Muharraq, so Al Muharraq is about 34% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 63% lower in Medellin. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Medellin and in Al Muharraq?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,208 in Medellin versus $465 in Al Muharraq. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 45% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more expensive overall: Medellin or Al Muharraq?
All in, you’ll spend $1,639 per month in Medellin versus $1,083 in Al Muharraq – Al Muharraq is about 34% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
How far does $2,000 go in Medellin compared to Al Muharraq?
Either city works on $2,000 a month, though Al Muharraq gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
How does quality of life compare between Medellin and Al Muharraq?
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.

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