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: $1,641 in Medellin versus $703 in Al-musayyib.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $1,023 in Al-musayyib.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $1,344 in Al-musayyib.

Living in Medellin is roughly 134% more expensive than in Al-musayyib, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Al-musayyib is 49% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$4.65 IQD 6,091

72.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$34.61 IQD 45.3K

39.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$7.70 IQD 10.1K

22.34%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$3.18 IQD 4,163

-7.55%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$0.39 IQD 514

376.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.26 IQD 342

461.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$3.90 IQD 5,105

-17.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$3.83 IQD 5,021

49.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.08 IQD 1,413

33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$0.77 IQD 1,014

211.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$1.52 IQD 1,985

11.84%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$1.56 IQD 2,047

85.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$3.87 IQD 5,068

159.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$3.83 IQD 5,016

160.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$11.30 IQD 14.8K

25.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$1.14 IQD 1,487

249.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.07 IQD 1,396

47.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$1.05 IQD 1,376

104.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$0.54 IQD 711

325.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$0.60 IQD 781

233.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$0.59 IQD 768

155.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$0.55 IQD 721

118.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.36 IQD 474

255.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$1.82 IQD 2,386

110.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$13.77 IQD 18.0K

1.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$2.24 IQD 2,935

-23.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$2.29 IQD 2,997

19.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$2.26 IQD 2,957

-42.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$1.49 IQD 1,952

45.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$7.66 IQD 10.0K

8.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$0.63 IQD 823

115.87%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$19.0K IQD 24.9M

44.48%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$19.1K IQD 25.1M

90.88%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$212 IQD 277.1K

-20.26%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$20.98 IQD 27.5K

-35.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$41.50 IQD 54.3K

-31.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$10.68 IQD 14.0K

-37.73%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$170 IQD 222.6K

372.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$3,519 IQD 4.6M

161.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$29.66 IQD 38.8K

194.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$37.55 IQD 49.2K

58.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$72.8 IQD 95.4K

90.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$46.52 IQD 60.9K

119.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

4.12

165.53%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Al-musayyib: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $35.00 in Al-musayyib for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $167 per month, with Al-musayyib 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-musayyib: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Al-musayyib differ by about 134% in total monthly costs ($1,641 vs $703 including rent). Al-musayyib is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,462 in Medellin and $1,054 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.

Childcare runs $803 in Medellin versus $170 in Al-musayyib. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Al-musayyib – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $48.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $703 in Al-musayyib versus $1,641 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 134% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.