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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,681 per month in Medellin vs $640 in Al-qardahah, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,445 per month in Medellin vs $1,016 in Al-qardahah, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,210 per month in Medellin vs $1,393 in Al-qardahah, rent included.

Medellin costs about 163% more than Al-qardahah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Medellin sits 23% above the global median, while Al-qardahah is 53% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.4K

$9.83 SYP 1,194

-18.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 152.0K

$44.94 SYP 5,460

6.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 31.4K

$6.86 SYP 833

44.17%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,937

$3.79 SYP 460

-17.41%

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

$1.91 COP 6,058

$2.29 SYP 278

-16.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,794

$0.87 SYP 106

73.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,917

$1.92 SYP 233

62.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.3K

$3.06 SYP 372

87.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,587

$1.09 SYP 133

32.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,894

$0.42 SYP 51.0

492.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,631

$1.64 SYP 200

7.93%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,396

$1.57 SYP 191

88.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 32.0K

$3.87 SYP 471

160.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 32.1K

$5.69 SYP 691

77.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 45.4K

$13.55 SYP 1,647

5.54%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 13.1K

$1.02 SYP 124

305.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,106

$1.41 SYP 172

14.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,129

$1.09 SYP 132

106.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,150

$1.03 SYP 125

118.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,486

$0.75 SYP 91.6

172.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,873

$0.79 SYP 96.2

94.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,715

$0.40 SYP 48.87

192.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,148

$0.61 SYP 74.2

114.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.4K

$2.82 SYP 343

38.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 44.5K

$6.07 SYP 737

130.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,534

$1.10 SYP 134

58.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 9,112

$2.91 SYP 354

-1.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,858

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 255.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,155

$1.02 SYP 124

28.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,944

$1.54 SYP 187

42.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.7K

$7.84 SYP 953

11.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,334

$3.67 SYP 446

-62.67%

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

$27.8K COP 88.4M

$14.8K SYP 1.8M

88.09%

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

$35.8K COP 113.6M

$19.0K SYP 2.3M

87.94%

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

$177 COP 562.9K

$137 SYP 16.7K

29.20%

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

$13.88 COP 44.1K

$9.45 SYP 1,148

46.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 94.4K

$45.65 SYP 5,547

-34.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 142.5K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 54.4K

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 21.1K

$5.40 SYP 656

23.15%

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

$813 COP 2.6M

$66.7 SYP 8,108

1118.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 29.2M

$1,806 SYP 219.5K

408.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 284.1K

$28.38 SYP 3,449

215.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 187.2K

$40.11 SYP 4,873

47.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 438.8K

$60.0 SYP 7,288

130.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 324.2K

$57.9 SYP 7,032

76.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.4M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 6.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.3M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.3M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.3M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 COP 2.2M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

14.25

-23.23%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 14, 2026

Last update for Al-qardahah: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin versus $45.00 in Al-qardahah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $305 vs $168 – making Al-qardahah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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-qardahah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 163%, and the gap shows up most in Groceries & Markets. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,521 per month in Medellin and $960 in Al-qardahah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $48.00 in Medellin and $45.00 in Al-qardahah. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 81% more in Medellin, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Al-qardahah, where all-in costs run around $640, than in Medellin at $1,681. In Al-qardahah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Al-qardahah – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Al-qardahah. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Medellin makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.