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: $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,213 in Al Muharraq.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,756 in Al Muharraq.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $2,299 in Al Muharraq.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 17% less than in Al Muharraq, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Al Muharraq 9% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$4.00 BHD 1.51

49.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.2K

$26.62 BHD 10.04

23.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$5.19 BHD 1.96

36.61%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,105

$3.90 BHD 1.47

-56.15%

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

$1.10 COP 3,918

$0.84 BHD 0.32

30.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,776

$0.39 BHD 0.15

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,987

$5.44 BHD 2.05

-69.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 10.9K

$8.05 BHD 3.04

-61.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,899

$1.34 BHD 0.51

-18.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,500

$0.55 BHD 0.21

129.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,914

$2.31 BHD 0.87

-40.26%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,813

$2.45 BHD 0.92

-10.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$4.45 BHD 1.68

-1.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$5.05 BHD 1.90

11.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.7K

$8.17 BHD 3.08

8.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,334

$1.22 BHD 0.46

91.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,771

$1.67 BHD 0.63

-36.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,365

$1.10 BHD 0.41

36.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,915

$1.16 BHD 0.44

18.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,104

$0.81 BHD 0.31

41.98%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,148

$0.53 BHD 0.20

118.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,176

$1.21 BHD 0.46

-26.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,992

$0.51 BHD 0.19

64.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,131

$5.20 BHD 1.96

-56.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 37.9K

$18.50 BHD 6.97

-42.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,276

$3.34 BHD 1.26

-64.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,809

$3.19 BHD 1.20

-22.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,051

$0.84 BHD 0.31

2.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.6K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,255

$4.57 BHD 1.72

-67.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 6,997

$2.59 BHD 0.98

-24.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$5.19 BHD 1.96

49.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,403

$0.43 BHD 0.16

120.93%

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

$18.1K COP 64.6M

$36.8K BHD 13.9K

-50.74%

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

$26.5K COP 94.4M

$15.9K BHD 5,976

67.09%

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

$82.3 COP 293.2K

$105 BHD 39.57

-21.64%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$21.38 BHD 8.06

-55.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.4K

$38.44 BHD 14.49

-36.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.3K

$52.1 BHD 19.63

-50.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.7K

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$7.50 BHD 2.83

-47.60%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$388 BHD 146

-20.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$5,915 BHD 2,230

0.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.1K

$27.00 BHD 10.18

117.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.3K

$62.6 BHD 23.59

-48.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 365.7K

$82.9 BHD 31.24

23.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 386.5K

$88.9 BHD 33.51

22.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$612 BHD 231

-22.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$502 BHD 189

-24.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$964 BHD 363

-13.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$801 BHD 302

-9.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 9.9M

$1,998 BHD 753

39.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$1,617 BHD 610

-25.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$1,574 BHD 593

-67.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

8.56

56.89%

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

Last update for Medellin: May 31, 2026

Last update for Al Muharraq: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $612 in Al Muharraq. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Al Muharraq pays 207% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $27.00 in Al Muharraq. Groceries flip the comparison at $188 vs $202, 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 Muharraq: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Al Muharraq differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($1,013 vs $1,213 including rent). Medellin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Al Muharraq earns 207% less. 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: $476 in Medellin versus $612 in Al Muharraq. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Al Muharraq. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,013 per month in Medellin versus $1,213 in Al Muharraq – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,213 in Al Muharraq, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Al Muharraq. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin 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 Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Al Muharraq. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.