Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Amwaj

For one person, living is cheaper in Amwaj: $609 a month against $1,625 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,625

/mo nomad

Amwaj

🇧🇭 Bahrain

$609

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Amwaj

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 Amwaj actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,625 per month in Medellin vs $609 in Amwaj, rent included.

Medellin $1,625
Amwaj $609

A couple spends around $2,412 per month in Medellin vs $2,459 in Amwaj, rent included.

Medellin $2,412
Amwaj $2,459

A family of three spends $3,199 per month in Medellin vs $4,309 in Amwaj, rent included.

Medellin $3,199
Amwaj $4,309

Medellin costs about 167% more than Amwaj, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Amwaj is 55% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.30 COP 26.3K

$10.70 BHD 4.04

-22.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.91 COP 148.7K

$32.30 BHD 12.19

45.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 COP 29.3K

$9.71 BHD 3.67

-4.84%

Cappuccino

$3.05 COP 9,676

$4.02 BHD 1.52

-24.13%

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

$1.80 COP 5,707

$2.18 BHD 0.82

-17.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,382

$0.64 BHD 0.24

115.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.24 COP 10.3K

$7.76 BHD 2.93

-58.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.56 COP 17.6K

$10.73 BHD 4.05

-48.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 COP 4,760

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 COP 7,508

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,377

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,379

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.22 COP 32.4K

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 COP 30.9K

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 COP 44.1K

Apples (1kg)

$4.13 COP 13.1K

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,839

Oranges (1kg)

$2.22 COP 7,052

Tomato (1kg)

$2.27 COP 7,194

Potato (1kg)

$1.99 COP 6,311

Onion (1kg)

$1.67 COP 5,285

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.18 COP 3,742

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,919

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.87 COP 12.3K

$5.17 BHD 1.95

-25.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 COP 43.7K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,256

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 COP 7,615

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.24 COP 3,944

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.2 COP 248.0K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.28 COP 4,044

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 COP 6,803

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.37 COP 26.5K

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,288

$0.66 BHD 0.25

104.55%

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

$34.8K COP 110.2M

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

$34.7K COP 110.0M

$36.9K BHD 13.9K

-5.95%

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

$167 COP 528.4K

$130 BHD 49.23

27.75%

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

$13.62 COP 43.2K

$23.57 BHD 8.89

-42.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.12 COP 92.3K

$65.9 BHD 24.88

-55.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 COP 143.0K

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.18 COP 54.5K

Cinema Ticket

$6.97 COP 22.1K

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

$790 COP 2.5M

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,041 COP 28.7M

$13.4K BHD 5,063

-32.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.8 COP 278.4K

$64.9 BHD 24.51

35.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.2 COP 184.4K

$65.4 BHD 24.67

-11.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 440.7K

$94.0 BHD 35.47

47.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.9 COP 313.5K

$120 BHD 45.11

-17.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,028 COP 3.3M

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$620 COP 2.0M

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,881 COP 6.0M

$2,393 BHD 903

-21.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,008 COP 3.2M

$3,100 BHD 1,170

-67.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,988 COP 12.6M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,702 COP 5.4M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$663 COP 2.1M

$3,991 BHD 1,506

-83.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

56.29%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 19, 2026

Last update for Amwaj: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$619 38.1%

Amwaj

–

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$298 18.3%

Amwaj

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$209 12.9%

Amwaj

–

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$173 10.6%

Amwaj

–

Eating Out

Medellin

$171 10.5%

Amwaj

–

Getting Around

Medellin

$95 5.9%

Amwaj

–

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$59 3.6%

Amwaj

–

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 502% higher in Amwaj, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin versus $32.00 in Amwaj. Use this as a proxy for overall food spending across the two cities.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇧🇭 Amwaj

🕒 Local time

10:30 10:30 AM

18:30 6:30 PM

8 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Bahraini Dinar BHD .د.ب

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR

1 BHD = 2.65 USD

1 BHD = 2.36 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BHD, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,565 COP (10,000 COP = 2.81 EUR).

Bahraini Dinar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.377 BHD (1 BHD = 2.65 USD). 1 EUR = 0.424 BHD (1 BHD = 2.36 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Amwaj 13,190 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Amwaj

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 Amwaj: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin costs about 167% more than Amwaj, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,437 per month in Medellin and $914 in Amwaj. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,625 in Medellin and $609 in Amwaj. That's a gap of about 167%.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $47.00 in Medellin and $32.00 in Amwaj. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Amwaj, where all-in costs run around $609, than in Medellin at $1,625. In Amwaj it covers expenses comfortably, while in Medellin it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Amwaj costs $609 versus $1,625 in Medellin. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Amwaj. 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.