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: $1,014 in Medellin versus $893 in Al-musayyib.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,596 in Medellin versus $1,334 in Al-musayyib.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,178 in Medellin versus $1,774 in Al-musayyib.

Living in Medellin is roughly 14% more expensive than Al-musayyib, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 25% lower, Al-musayyib 34% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.14 COP 22.2K

$5.24 IQD 6,867

17.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.05 COP 119.3K

$36.84 IQD 48.2K

-10.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.32 COP 26.4K

$7.55 IQD 9,883

-3.05%

Cappuccino

$1.66 COP 5,987

$3.00 IQD 3,928

-44.67%

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

$1.10 COP 3,987

$0.37 IQD 483

197.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,822

$0.21 IQD 270

271.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.71 COP 6,188

$3.45 IQD 4,520

-50.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 11.5K

$2.86 IQD 3,742

10.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 COP 4,012

$1.13 IQD 1,479

-1.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.31 COP 4,719

$0.84 IQD 1,096

55.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,980

$1.57 IQD 2,059

-12.10%

Eggs

$2.22 COP 8,009

$1.50 IQD 1,967

48.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.34 COP 15.7K

$4.39 IQD 5,742

-1.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.80 COP 20.9K

$3.94 IQD 5,163

47.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.98 COP 32.4K

$11.34 IQD 14.9K

-20.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 COP 8,164

$1.12 IQD 1,469

101.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 4,023

$1.13 IQD 1,477

-1.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.46 COP 5,284

$1.00 IQD 1,313

46.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,929

$0.56 IQD 731

144.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.11 COP 4,009

$0.59 IQD 777

88.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,199

$0.54 IQD 709

114.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,211

$0.55 IQD 716

61.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 COP 3,124

$0.37 IQD 481

135.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.35 COP 8,495

$2.07 IQD 2,710

13.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.86 COP 39.2K

$13.83 IQD 18.1K

-21.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,330

$1.76 IQD 2,302

-31.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 COP 8,946

$2.16 IQD 2,826

14.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,842

$0.40 IQD 519

97.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.77 COP 147.2K

$31.34 IQD 41.0K

30.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 5,137

$3.76 IQD 4,918

-62.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,900

$1.54 IQD 2,012

24.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.65 COP 27.6K

$7.47 IQD 9,779

2.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 COP 3,490

$0.57 IQD 746

70.18%

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

$18.1K COP 65.3M

$19.8K IQD 25.9M

-8.51%

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

$26.3K COP 95.0M

$19.5K IQD 25.6M

34.60%

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

$81.3 COP 293.5K

$179 IQD 234.4K

-54.59%

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

$9.63 COP 34.8K

$25.66 IQD 33.6K

-62.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.36 COP 88.0K

$39.85 IQD 52.2K

-38.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.02 COP 93.9K

$36.77 IQD 48.1K

-29.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 COP 68.3K

$16.96 IQD 22.2K

11.56%

Cinema Ticket

$3.89 COP 14.0K

$7.79 IQD 10.2K

-50.06%

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

$304 COP 1.1M

$166 IQD 217.5K

83.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,902 COP 21.3M

$3,525 IQD 4.6M

67.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 211.8K

$28.04 IQD 36.7K

109.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.48 COP 117.2K

$30.67 IQD 40.2K

5.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 COP 367.3K

$63.7 IQD 83.5K

59.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 390.4K

$43.71 IQD 57.2K

147.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$474 COP 1.7M

$244 IQD 319.5K

94.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 COP 1.3M

$178 IQD 232.6K

108.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$848 COP 3.1M

$585 IQD 765.6K

45.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$339 IQD 444.0K

111.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,871 COP 10.4M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,375 COP 5.0M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$542 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: April 13, 2026

Last update for Al-musayyib: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $474 in Medellin and $244 in Al-musayyib. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $33 in Medellin vs $37 in Al-musayyib. Groceries flip the comparison at $190 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 14% in total monthly costs ($1,014 vs $893 including rent). Al-musayyib is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $1,522 in Medellin and $1,340 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: $474 in Medellin versus $244 in Al-musayyib. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $304 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 13% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $893 in Al-musayyib versus $1,014 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 14% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.