Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Al Mukalla

For one person, living is cheaper in Al Mukalla: $842 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Medellin outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
Learn more

Medellin Living Index

Jump to prices

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Al Mukalla

🇾🇪 Yemen

$842

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,625 in Medellin versus $842 in Al Mukalla.

Medellin $1,625
Al Mukalla $842

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,412 in Medellin versus $1,654 in Al Mukalla.

Medellin $2,412
Al Mukalla $1,654

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,199 in Medellin versus $2,466 in Al Mukalla.

Medellin $3,199
Al Mukalla $2,466

Living in Medellin is roughly 93% more expensive than in Al Mukalla, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Al Mukalla is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$16.88 YER 3,983

-50.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$84.8 YER 20.0K

-44.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$8.45 YER 1,992

-63.91%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$0.89 YER 210

55.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

$10.58 YER 2,496

-72.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

$15.08 YER 3,557

-32.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

$25.73 YER 6,070

-62.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

$58.5 YER 13.8K

-76.24%

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

$14.61 YER 3,446

-71.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

$6.37 YER 1,503

-75.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

$4.94 YER 1,165

-55.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

$3.29 YER 776

-31.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

$7.71 YER 1,818

-74.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

$4.15 YER 978

-59.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

$2.58 YER 609

-51.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

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

$167 COP 528.4K

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

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

$790 COP 2.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 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: October 19, 2026

Last update for Al Mukalla: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Al Mukalla

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Al Mukalla

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Al Mukalla

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Al Mukalla

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Al Mukalla

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Al Mukalla

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Al Mukalla

–

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $47.00 in Medellin vs $85.0 in Al Mukalla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $602 per month, with Medellin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇾🇪 Al Mukalla

🕒 Local time

06:40 6:40 AM

14:40 2:40 PM

8 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

176,942

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Yemeni Rial YER ﷼

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1,000 YER = 4.24 USD

1,000 YER = 3.77 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

YER, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Yemeni Rial exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 236 YER (1,000 YER = 4.24 USD). 1 EUR = 265 YER (1,000 YER = 3.77 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Medellin Al Mukalla 13,500 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Al Mukalla

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 Mukalla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al Mukalla is cheaper overall, especially in clothing, transport, and leisure. The 93% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,437 in Medellin and $1,262 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 102% 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 $85.0 versus $47.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $842 in Al Mukalla versus $1,625 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 93% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.