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: $1,003 in Medellin versus $887 in Al-musayyib.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,573 in Medellin versus $1,338 in Al-musayyib.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,143 in Medellin versus $1,789 in Al-musayyib.

Living in Medellin is roughly 13% more expensive than in Al-musayyib, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 25% lower, Al-musayyib 33% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.91 COP 18.9K

$5.49 IQD 7,189

7.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.96 COP 105.2K

$36.28 IQD 47.5K

-9.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.43 COP 23.7K

$7.48 IQD 9,792

-0.67%

Cappuccino

$1.65 COP 5,280

$2.99 IQD 3,911

-44.82%

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

$1.10 COP 3,517

$0.37 IQD 483

197.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,493

$0.19 IQD 244

310.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.72 COP 5,488

$3.43 IQD 4,488

-49.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 COP 10.1K

$2.81 IQD 3,683

13.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 COP 3,523

$1.17 IQD 1,538

-5.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,018

$0.84 IQD 1,104

50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,410

$1.51 IQD 1,975

-8.61%

Eggs

$2.18 COP 6,955

$1.49 IQD 1,956

46.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.49 COP 14.3K

$4.54 IQD 5,947

-1.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.79 COP 18.5K

$3.74 IQD 4,897

54.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.97 COP 28.6K

$11.28 IQD 14.8K

-20.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 COP 7,410

$1.18 IQD 1,543

96.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,399

$1.13 IQD 1,479

-6.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 4,842

$1.01 IQD 1,326

50.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.36 COP 4,330

$0.58 IQD 764

134.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,602

$0.59 IQD 773

91.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 3,740

$0.59 IQD 771

98.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 COP 2,878

$0.54 IQD 712

66.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 2,863

$0.37 IQD 481

143.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.23 COP 7,132

$2.05 IQD 2,685

8.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.12 COP 38.7K

$13.81 IQD 18.1K

-12.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 3,795

$1.76 IQD 2,301

-32.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 7,925

$2.08 IQD 2,721

19.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 COP 2,725

$0.37 IQD 479

129.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.62 COP 132.9K

$31.47 IQD 41.2K

32.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,521

$3.91 IQD 5,122

-63.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 COP 6,227

$1.52 IQD 1,996

28.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 COP 25.2K

$7.61 IQD 9,960

3.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,162

$0.58 IQD 755

70.69%

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

$17.6K COP 56.2M

$19.9K IQD 26.1M

-11.73%

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

$26.8K COP 85.6M

$20.0K IQD 26.1M

34.23%

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

$83.0 COP 265.0K

$180 IQD 235.5K

-53.84%

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

$9.70 COP 31.0K

$25.74 IQD 33.7K

-62.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.52 COP 75.1K

$40.78 IQD 53.4K

-42.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.26 COP 80.6K

$36.66 IQD 48.0K

-31.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 COP 61.0K

$16.60 IQD 21.7K

15.06%

Cinema Ticket

$3.95 COP 12.6K

$7.63 IQD 9,992

-48.23%

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

$316 COP 1.0M

$167 IQD 218.1K

89.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,975 COP 19.1M

$3,566 IQD 4.7M

67.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.0 COP 191.6K

$28.32 IQD 37.1K

111.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 101.6K

$30.26 IQD 39.6K

5.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 324.6K

$64.4 IQD 84.3K

57.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 343.1K

$42.85 IQD 56.1K

150.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$475 COP 1.5M

$241 IQD 315.4K

97.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$374 COP 1.2M

$180 IQD 236.1K

107.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$849 COP 2.7M

$583 IQD 763.9K

45.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$719 COP 2.3M

$342 IQD 448.0K

110.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,265 COP 10.4M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,441 COP 4.6M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$624 COP 2.0M

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Al-musayyib: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $475 in Medellin and $241 in Al-musayyib. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $36.00 in Al-musayyib. Groceries flip the comparison at $193 vs $168, 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 13% in total monthly costs ($1,003 vs $887 including rent). Al-musayyib is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,504 in Medellin and $1,330 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: $475 in Medellin versus $241 in Al-musayyib. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $316 in Medellin versus $167 in Al-musayyib. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 15% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $887 in Al-musayyib versus $1,003 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 13% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.