Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Al-musayyib Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Al-musayyib

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,017 in Medellin versus $878 in Al-musayyib.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,356 in Al-musayyib.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,188 in Medellin versus $1,834 in Al-musayyib.

Living in Medellin is roughly 16% more expensive than Al-musayyib, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Al-musayyib 35% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.7K

$5.26 IQD 6,889

13.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.1K

$36.65 IQD 48.0K

-9.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$7.51 IQD 9,828

-3.73%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,676

$3.11 IQD 4,077

-47.59%

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

$1.09 COP 3,813

$0.36 IQD 475

202.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,543

$0.20 IQD 263

265.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,053

$3.45 IQD 4,518

-49.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$2.94 IQD 3,856

9.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,655

$1.14 IQD 1,490

-7.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,506

$0.83 IQD 1,093

55.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,608

$1.57 IQD 2,061

-15.92%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,912

$1.57 IQD 2,059

44.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.1K

$4.60 IQD 6,023

-5.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$3.87 IQD 5,071

51.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$11.67 IQD 15.3K

-26.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,828

$1.14 IQD 1,486

97.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,725

$1.12 IQD 1,461

-4.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,311

$1.05 IQD 1,370

44.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,955

$0.58 IQD 760

144.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,076

$0.64 IQD 838

82.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,069

$0.59 IQD 769

98.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,090

$0.60 IQD 784

48.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,140

$0.37 IQD 480

143.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,821

$2.13 IQD 2,786

5.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$13.34 IQD 17.5K

-17.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,969

$1.78 IQD 2,326

-35.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,285

$2.10 IQD 2,747

13.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,910

$0.39 IQD 516

115.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.1K

$31.23 IQD 40.9K

34.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,902

$3.90 IQD 5,103

-63.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,621

$1.48 IQD 1,933

28.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$7.57 IQD 9,907

2.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,502

$0.53 IQD 699

90.57%

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

$17.6K COP 61.2M

$19.8K IQD 25.9M

-11.00%

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

$26.5K COP 92.3M

$20.0K IQD 26.2M

32.38%

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

$83.7 COP 291.5K

$179 IQD 234.1K

-53.19%

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

$9.45 COP 32.9K

$26.36 IQD 34.5K

-64.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.0K

$40.27 IQD 52.7K

-40.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.2K

$37.09 IQD 48.6K

-31.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.7K

$16.54 IQD 21.7K

15.72%

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$7.51 IQD 9,840

-45.41%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$166 IQD 217.7K

87.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$3,586 IQD 4.7M

67.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.2K

$28.39 IQD 37.2K

104.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.4K

$30.81 IQD 40.3K

5.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.0K

$63.8 IQD 83.6K

56.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.1K

$43.33 IQD 56.7K

150.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$244 IQD 319.6K

97.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$176 IQD 229.9K

116.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$575 IQD 752.9K

45.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$341 IQD 446.8K

111.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

5.67

136.86%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Last update for Al-musayyib: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Medellin and $244 in Al-musayyib. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $37.00 in Al-musayyib. Groceries flip the comparison at $190 vs $170, with Al-musayyib 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-musayyib: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Al-musayyib differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($1,017 vs $878 including rent). Al-musayyib is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,525 in Medellin and $1,317 in Al-musayyib 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $482 in Medellin versus $244 in Al-musayyib. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $312 in Medellin versus $166 in Al-musayyib. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $878 in Al-musayyib versus $1,017 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Al-musayyib but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Al-musayyib 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-musayyib gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.