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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,716 in Medellin versus $829 in Al Mukalla.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,527 in Medellin versus $1,663 in Al Mukalla.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,338 in Medellin versus $2,498 in Al Mukalla.

Living in Medellin is roughly 107% more expensive than in Al Mukalla, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, Al Mukalla is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 COP 25.2K

$16.67 YER 3,946

-51.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.26 COP 151.7K

$85.8 YER 20.3K

-43.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.77 COP 30.7K

Cappuccino

$2.91 COP 9,149

$8.53 YER 2,020

-65.89%

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

$1.94 COP 6,110

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 COP 4,783

$0.82 YER 195

85.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.09 COP 9,721

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 COP 18.1K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,287

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 COP 7,505

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,346

Eggs

$2.87 COP 9,021

$10.65 YER 2,521

-73.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 COP 31.2K

$14.47 YER 3,426

-31.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.78 COP 33.9K

$26.13 YER 6,184

-58.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.73 COP 46.3K

$60.1 YER 14.2K

-75.49%

Apples (1kg)

$4.09 COP 12.8K

$14.94 YER 3,538

-72.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 COP 4,940

$6.17 YER 1,461

-74.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 COP 6,682

$5.09 YER 1,205

-58.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.21 COP 6,959

$3.39 YER 802

-34.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 COP 6,435

$7.55 YER 1,787

-72.85%

Onion (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,728

$4.17 YER 987

-64.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 COP 3,740

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 COP 3,640

$2.49 YER 590

-53.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

Wine (Bottle)

$14.44 COP 45.4K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 4,978

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 COP 8,889

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,672

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.7 COP 244.3K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,038

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 COP 6,576

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 COP 27.1K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,080

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

$27.7K COP 86.9M

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

$35.5K COP 111.6M

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

$176 COP 553.4K

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

$13.37 COP 42.0K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.89 COP 94.0K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.76 COP 140.7K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.06 COP 53.6K

Cinema Ticket

$6.20 COP 19.5K

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

$793 COP 2.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,019 COP 28.4M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.6 COP 269.1K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.5 COP 183.8K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$136 COP 428.4K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 COP 324.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,060 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$680 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,012 COP 6.3M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 COP 3.7M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 COP 12.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,701 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$665 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

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

Last update for Medellin: August 30, 2026

Last update for Al Mukalla: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $86.0 in Al Mukalla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $303 vs $607 per month, with Medellin 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 Mukalla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al Mukalla is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 107% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,574 in Medellin and $1,243 in Al Mukalla 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.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 100% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Al Mukalla – a meal for two runs $86.0 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $829 in Al Mukalla versus $1,716 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Al Mukalla but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Al Mukalla the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Al Mukalla is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Al Mukalla gentler on the wallet – expenses run 107% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.