Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Al-Rumaitha

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-Rumaitha: $667 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Al-Rumaitha
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Al-Rumaitha Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Al-Rumaitha

🇮🇶 Iraq

$667

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Al-Rumaitha

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Medellin and in Al-Rumaitha actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $667 in Al-Rumaitha.

Medellin $1,639
Al-Rumaitha $667

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $1,037 in Al-Rumaitha.

Medellin $2,413
Al-Rumaitha $1,037

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $1,407 in Al-Rumaitha.

Medellin $3,186
Al-Rumaitha $1,407

Living in Medellin is roughly 146% more expensive than in Al-Rumaitha, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Al-Rumaitha is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 26.1K

$3.94 IQD 5,948

105.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 151.7K

$23.49 IQD 35.5K

100.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.6K

$6.34 IQD 9,581

49.84%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,722

$2.29 IQD 3,461

31.44%

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

$1.80 COP 5,801

$0.42 IQD 640

328.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,554

$0.24 IQD 360

487.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 10.2K

$3.79 IQD 5,732

-16.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.5K

$2.30 IQD 3,472

150.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,869

$0.90 IQD 1,366

67.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,667

$0.74 IQD 1,121

221.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,712

$1.47 IQD 2,221

20.41%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,320

$1.52 IQD 2,298

90.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.9K

$3.72 IQD 5,622

173.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.8K

$3.65 IQD 5,513

170.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 45.1K

$11.85 IQD 17.9K

18.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.8K

$0.95 IQD 1,433

317.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 5,005

$0.99 IQD 1,499

56.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,039

$0.96 IQD 1,445

127.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 7,041

$0.69 IQD 1,038

215.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,328

$0.55 IQD 829

256.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,125

$0.62 IQD 939

156.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,694

$0.57 IQD 863

101.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 4,009

$0.47 IQD 712

163.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.8K

$1.64 IQD 2,476

141.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 44.1K

$11.38 IQD 17.2K

20.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,352

$1.57 IQD 2,372

5.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,281

$1.81 IQD 2,737

24.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,766

$0.32 IQD 483

265.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 249.5K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 4,089

$1.78 IQD 2,690

-28.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,603

$1.29 IQD 1,946

58.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 27.6K

$6.18 IQD 9,344

38.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,343

$0.50 IQD 748

170.00%

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

$34.1K COP 109.8M

$16.2K IQD 24.4M

110.87%

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

$34.7K COP 111.8M

$16.8K IQD 25.3M

106.72%

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

$170 COP 547.0K

$98.8 IQD 149.3K

71.64%

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

$13.55 COP 43.7K

$13.28 IQD 20.1K

2.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 90.5K

$31.50 IQD 47.6K

-10.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 140.9K

$36.25 IQD 54.8K

20.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 55.4K

$3.26 IQD 4,929

427.30%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 22.3K

$8.95 IQD 13.5K

-22.79%

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

$797 COP 2.6M

$124 IQD 187.5K

542.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 29.4M

$3,090 IQD 4.7M

194.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 273.2K

$20.95 IQD 31.7K

304.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 186.9K

$22.62 IQD 34.2K

156.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 435.2K

$58.0 IQD 87.6K

132.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 315.6K

$38.10 IQD 57.6K

156.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.9M

$210 IQD 317.0K

475.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.1M

$136 IQD 205.4K

371.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.5M

$374 IQD 565.0K

442.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.3M

$309 IQD 467.0K

227.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.4M

$901 IQD 1.4M

362.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.2M

$473 IQD 714.9K

303.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Al-Rumaitha: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Al-Rumaitha

$136 20.4% 78.8% $506

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Al-Rumaitha

$156 23.5% 47.3% $141

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Al-Rumaitha

$144 21.5% 32% $68

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Al-Rumaitha

$104 15.6% 38.6% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Al-Rumaitha

$63 9.4% 62.8% $106

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Al-Rumaitha

$9.5 * 1.4% 89.8% $84

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Al-Rumaitha

$54 8.1% 5.9% $3.4

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $210 in Al-Rumaitha. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $23 in Al-Rumaitha for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $156 per month, with Al-Rumaitha cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇮🇶 Al-Rumaitha

🕒 Local time

21:42 9:42 PM

05:42 5:42 AM

8 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

115,431

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.91 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IQD, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 3,224 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,611 COP (10,000 COP = 2.77 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 31, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,692 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.91 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Al-Rumaitha 12,470 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Al-Rumaitha

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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-Rumaitha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al-Rumaitha is about 59% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, clothing, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $2,459 in Medellin and $1,000 in Al-Rumaitha 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: $1,208 in Medellin versus $210 in Al-Rumaitha. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $797 in Medellin versus $124 in Al-Rumaitha. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Al-Rumaitha – a meal for two runs $23 versus $47 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $667 in Al-Rumaitha versus $1,639 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Al-Rumaitha but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Al-Rumaitha 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.