Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and 'aqrah

For one person, living is cheaper in 'aqrah: $661 a month against $1,614 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 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 'aqrah
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'aqrah Living Index

Jump to prices

Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,614

/mo nomad

'aqrah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$661

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in 'aqrah

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,614 in Medellin versus $661 in 'aqrah.

Medellin $1,614
'aqrah $661

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,402 in Medellin versus $1,015 in 'aqrah.

Medellin $2,402
'aqrah $1,015

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,190 in Medellin versus $1,369 in 'aqrah.

Medellin $3,190
'aqrah $1,369

Living in Medellin is roughly 144% more expensive than in 'aqrah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, 'aqrah is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.93 COP 25.2K

$3.62 IQD 5,467

119.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.13 COP 146.3K

$21.82 IQD 33.0K

111.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 30.1K

$6.82 IQD 10.3K

39.30%

Cappuccino

$3.11 COP 9,866

$2.38 IQD 3,602

30.67%

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

$1.83 COP 5,800

$0.32 IQD 485

471.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 COP 4,360

$0.18 IQD 273

666.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.05 COP 9,672

$3.11 IQD 4,706

-1.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.50 COP 17.4K

$2.61 IQD 3,945

110.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 COP 4,600

$0.94 IQD 1,416

54.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 COP 7,496

$0.72 IQD 1,086

227.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 COP 5,328

$1.46 IQD 2,205

15.07%

Eggs

$2.86 COP 9,077

$1.70 IQD 2,573

68.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.3K

$3.48 IQD 5,252

192.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.53 COP 30.2K

$4.16 IQD 6,291

129.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.04 COP 44.5K

$13.31 IQD 20.1K

5.48%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 COP 12.9K

$0.92 IQD 1,383

342.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 COP 4,742

$0.91 IQD 1,375

64.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 COP 6,891

$0.77 IQD 1,161

181.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.31 COP 7,310

$0.66 IQD 990

250.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 COP 6,113

$0.54 IQD 809

257.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 COP 5,196

$0.64 IQD 965

156.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.13 COP 3,571

$0.51 IQD 776

121.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 COP 3,954

$0.50 IQD 756

150.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.99 COP 12.6K

$1.57 IQD 2,368

154.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.35 COP 42.3K

$10.92 IQD 16.5K

22.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 COP 5,384

$1.33 IQD 2,003

27.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 7,525

$1.85 IQD 2,800

28.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.21 COP 3,827

$0.45 IQD 679

168.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.5 COP 242.5K

$17.50 IQD 26.4K

337.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.32 COP 4,179

$1.89 IQD 2,859

-30.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 COP 6,774

$1.39 IQD 2,099

53.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.47 COP 26.8K

$5.15 IQD 7,788

64.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 COP 4,114

$0.48 IQD 727

170.83%

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

$28.0K COP 88.7M

$16.9K IQD 25.5M

65.73%

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

$35.4K COP 112.3M

$19.4K IQD 29.3M

82.64%

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

$172 COP 545.6K

$80.2 IQD 121.1K

114.71%

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

$13.37 COP 42.4K

$13.58 IQD 20.5K

-1.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.73 COP 91.1K

$27.25 IQD 41.2K

5.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.24 COP 143.5K

$37.01 IQD 55.9K

22.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.04 COP 54.0K

Cinema Ticket

$6.28 COP 19.9K

$8.39 IQD 12.7K

-25.15%

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

$770 COP 2.4M

$142 IQD 213.9K

444.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,011 COP 28.6M

$2,656 IQD 4.0M

239.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.4 COP 274.0K

$22.08 IQD 33.4K

291.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 COP 181.1K

$23.85 IQD 36.0K

139.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 COP 432.9K

$47.26 IQD 71.4K

188.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 310.4K

$31.06 IQD 46.9K

215.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 COP 3.3M

$184 IQD 277.8K

473.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$616 COP 2.0M

$141 IQD 213.2K

336.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,892 COP 6.0M

$358 IQD 541.4K

428.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,023 COP 3.2M

$278 IQD 419.4K

268.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,059 COP 12.9M

$779 IQD 1.2M

421.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,678 COP 5.3M

$642 IQD 970.8K

161.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$652 COP 2.1M

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.94

3.33

228.53%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 12, 2026

Last update for 'aqrah: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$616 38.2%

'aqrah

$141 21.4% 77.1% $475

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$295 18.3%

'aqrah

$160 24.2% 45.7% $135

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$214 13.3%

'aqrah

$121 18.3% 43.5% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$170 10.5%

'aqrah

$56 8.5% 67.1% $114

Eating Out

Medellin

$168 10.4%

'aqrah

$101 15.3% 40.1% $68

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.8%

'aqrah

$28 4.3% 69.9% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.6%

'aqrah

$54 8.1% 7% $4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,055 in Medellin and $184 in 'aqrah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $46.00 in Medellin vs $22.00 in 'aqrah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $295 vs $160 per month, with 'aqrah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇮🇶 'aqrah

🕒 Local time

20:46 8:46 PM

04:46 4:46 AM

8 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

68,100

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.15 USD

10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.88 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3,171 COP (10,000 COP = 3.15 USD). 1 EUR = 3,570 COP (10,000 COP = 2.8 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,701 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.88 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin 'aqrah 12,130 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
'aqrah

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 'aqrah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

'aqrah wins on cost – living expenses run 144% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making 'aqrah the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,421 in Medellin and $991 in 'aqrah 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: $1,055 in Medellin versus $184 in 'aqrah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,614 per month in Medellin versus $661 in 'aqrah – a 144% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in 'aqrah runs roughly 337% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $661 in 'aqrah versus $1,614 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in 'aqrah but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes 'aqrah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but 'aqrah delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $661 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes 'aqrah hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Medellin and 'aqrah are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find 'aqrah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 144% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.