Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ar-rustaq

For one person, living is cheaper in Ar-rustaq: $953 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Medellin, Colombia
Ar-rustaq, Oman
Medellin
🇨🇴 Colombia
$1,639
/mo nomad
Ar-rustaq
🇴🇲 Oman
$953
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Ar-rustaq

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 Ar-rustaq actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,639 per month in Medellin vs $953 in Ar-rustaq, rent included.

  • Medellin $1,639
  • Ar-rustaq $953

A couple spends around $2,413 per month in Medellin vs $1,432 in Ar-rustaq, rent included.

  • Medellin $2,413
  • Ar-rustaq $1,432

A family of three spends $3,186 per month in Medellin vs $1,910 in Ar-rustaq, rent included.

  • Medellin $3,186
  • Ar-rustaq $1,910

Medellin costs about 72% more than Ar-rustaq, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Medellin sits 20% above the global median, while Ar-rustaq is 30% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Medellin
Ar-rustaq
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.09 COP 25.4K
$5.33 OMR 2.05
51.78%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$47.05 COP 148.0K
$39.16 OMR 15.08
20.15%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.50 COP 29.9K
$7.82 OMR 3.01
21.48%
Cappuccino
$3.01 COP 9,485
$5.21 OMR 2.01
-42.23%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 COP 5,660
$0.84 OMR 0.32
114.29%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.41 COP 4,443
$0.27 OMR 0.10
422.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.18 COP 9,990
$12.78 OMR 4.92
-75.12%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.75 COP 18.1K
$13.19 OMR 5.08
-56.41%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Medellin
Ar-rustaq
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.51 COP 4,751
$2.39 OMR 0.92
-36.82%
White Bread (500g)
$2.38 COP 7,480
$1.20 OMR 0.46
98.33%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.77 COP 5,573
$1.95 OMR 0.75
-9.23%
Eggs
$2.89 COP 9,093
$3.08 OMR 1.19
-6.17%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.19 COP 32.1K
$7.11 OMR 2.74
43.32%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.87 COP 31.1K
$6.96 OMR 2.68
41.81%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.99 COP 44.0K
$10.14 OMR 3.90
37.97%
Apples (1kg)
$3.97 COP 12.5K
$3.51 OMR 1.35
13.11%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 COP 4,883
$2.03 OMR 0.78
-23.65%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.18 COP 6,867
$2.40 OMR 0.92
-9.17%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.18 COP 6,870
$1.28 OMR 0.49
70.31%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 COP 6,174
$1.17 OMR 0.45
67.52%
Onion (1kg)
$1.59 COP 5,000
$1.22 OMR 0.47
30.33%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.15 COP 3,604
$1.86 OMR 0.72
-38.17%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 COP 3,911
$0.68 OMR 0.26
82.35%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.96 COP 12.5K
$6.65 OMR 2.56
-40.45%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.68 COP 43.0K
$15.55 OMR 5.99
-12.03%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 COP 5,221
$5.85 OMR 2.25
-71.62%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 COP 7,103
$10.05 OMR 3.87
-77.51%
🚌 Getting Around
Medellin
Ar-rustaq
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.17 COP 3,674
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$77.4 COP 243.4K
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.27 COP 3,989
$3.24 OMR 1.25
-60.80%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.05 COP 6,442
$2.57 OMR 0.99
-20.23%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$8.55 COP 26.9K
$8.03 OMR 3.09
6.48%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.35 COP 4,237
$0.59 OMR 0.23
128.81%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K COP 107.2M
$25.4K OMR 9,784
34.05%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.7K COP 109.1M
$20.9K OMR 8,060
65.61%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
Ar-rustaq
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 COP 533.7K
$177 OMR 68.3
-4.32%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.55 COP 42.6K
$30.29 OMR 11.66
-55.27%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$28.07 COP 88.3K
$71.6 OMR 27.58
-60.82%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
Ar-rustaq
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.70 COP 137.5K
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.19 COP 54.1K
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$6.91 COP 21.7K
$10.25 OMR 3.95
-32.59%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Medellin
Ar-rustaq
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$797 COP 2.5M
$508 OMR 196
56.80%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,112 COP 28.7M
$10.5K OMR 4,030
-12.94%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
Ar-rustaq
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.7 COP 266.5K
$55.9 OMR 21.53
51.53%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.0 COP 182.3K
$43.75 OMR 16.84
32.48%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 COP 424.6K
$88.6 OMR 34.12
52.27%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$97.9 COP 307.9K
$86.4 OMR 33.26
13.30%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Medellin
Ar-rustaq
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,208 COP 3.8M
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$642 COP 2.0M
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 COP 6.4M
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,012 COP 3.2M
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,170 COP 13.1M
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,910 COP 6.0M
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Medellin
Ar-rustaq
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$657 COP 2.1M
$4,358 OMR 1,678
-84.92%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
5.25
108.38%

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

Last update for Medellin: October 25, 2026

Last update for Ar-rustaq: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Medellin
$642
Ar-rustaq
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Medellin
$297
Ar-rustaq
$290 2.3% $6.7
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Medellin
$211
Ar-rustaq
$279 32.2% $68
Eating Out
Medellin
$170
Ar-rustaq
$223 31.7% $54
Clothing & Footwear
Medellin
$169
Ar-rustaq
$124 26.9% $45
Getting Around
Medellin
$94
Ar-rustaq
$16 * 82.8% $77
Sport & Entertainment
Medellin
$58
Ar-rustaq
$21 * 64.4% $37

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries in Ar-rustaq are about 6.6 times higher, 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 in Medellin versus $39 in Ar-rustaq. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $290 – making Ar-rustaq the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇨🇴 Medellin
🇴🇲 Ar-rustaq
🕒 Local time
13:47 1:47 PM
22:47 10:47 PM
9 h ahead of Medellin
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,486,723
120,000
💱 Currency
Omani Rial OMR ر.ع.
Exchange rates and currency converter

OMR, USD, EUR to COP – Colombian Peso Converter

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

Omani Rial exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.385 OMR (1 OMR = 2.6 USD). 1 EUR = 0.429 OMR (1 OMR = 2.33 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Medellin Ar-rustaq 13,940 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Medellin
  • Ar-rustaq

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 Ar-rustaq: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ar-rustaq cheaper than Medellin?
Yes – Medellin is pricier by about 72%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,459 per month in Medellin and $1,430 in Ar-rustaq. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Is eating out cheaper in Medellin or in Ar-rustaq?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $47 in Medellin and $39 in Ar-rustaq. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $797 per month in Medellin and $508 in Ar-rustaq. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is it better to live in Medellin or in Ar-rustaq?
It depends on your priorities. Medellin has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $953 in Ar-rustaq to $1,639 in Medellin. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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