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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,641 in Medellin versus $631 in Al-Qusayr.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $1,005 in Al-Qusayr.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $1,378 in Al-Qusayr.

Living in Medellin is roughly 160% more expensive than in Al-Qusayr, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Al-Qusayr is 54% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$9.96 SYP 1,210

-19.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$45.13 SYP 5,484

7.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$7.20 SYP 875

30.83%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$3.77 SYP 459

-22.02%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$2.26 SYP 275

-17.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.84 SYP 102

73.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$1.92 SYP 233

67.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$2.96 SYP 360

92.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.05 SYP 128

37.14%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$0.42 SYP 50.7

471.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$1.58 SYP 192

7.59%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$1.61 SYP 195

79.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$3.83 SYP 466

162.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$5.87 SYP 713

69.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$13.59 SYP 1,652

4.49%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$1.03 SYP 126

286.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.37 SYP 167

15.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$1.14 SYP 138

88.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$1.01 SYP 123

127.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$0.81 SYP 98.2

146.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$0.80 SYP 97.6

88.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$0.41 SYP 49.26

192.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.66 SYP 80.1

93.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$2.80 SYP 340

37.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$5.91 SYP 718

137.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$1.07 SYP 130

59.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$2.98 SYP 362

-8.05%

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

$1.02 SYP 124

28.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$1.48 SYP 180

46.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$7.90 SYP 960

4.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$3.64 SYP 443

-62.64%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$15.1K SYP 1.8M

81.54%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$19.3K SYP 2.3M

89.79%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$140 SYP 17.0K

20.42%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$9.72 SYP 1,181

39.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$46.01 SYP 5,591

-38.45%

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

$5.34 SYP 649

24.53%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$65.4 SYP 7,945

1128.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$1,769 SYP 215.0K

419.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$28.39 SYP 3,450

207.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$40.28 SYP 4,895

47.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$60.0 SYP 7,286

131.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$58.0 SYP 7,042

76.08%

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

14.25

-23.23%

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

Last update for Medellin: September 7, 2026

Last update for Al-Qusayr: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $45.00 in Al-Qusayr for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $169 per month, with Al-Qusayr 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-Qusayr: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al-Qusayr is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 160% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,462 in Medellin and $946 in Al-Qusayr 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 78% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,641 per month in Medellin versus $631 in Al-Qusayr – a 160% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $631 in Al-Qusayr versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Al-Qusayr but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Al-Qusayr the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Al-Qusayr is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Al-Qusayr gentler on the wallet – expenses run 160% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.