Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and As Samawah

For one person, living is cheaper in As Samawah: $651 a month against $1,692 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $12,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in As Samawah
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As Samawah Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,692

/mo nomad

As Samawah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$651

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in As Samawah

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,692 in Medellin versus $651 in As Samawah.

Medellin $1,692
As Samawah $651

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,471 in Medellin versus $1,052 in As Samawah.

Medellin $2,471
As Samawah $1,052

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,249 in Medellin versus $1,452 in As Samawah.

Medellin $3,249
As Samawah $1,452

Living in Medellin is roughly 160% more expensive than in As Samawah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 25% above, As Samawah is 52% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.34 COP 27.0K

$4.66 IQD 7,041

78.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.53 COP 150.9K

$26.87 IQD 40.6K

73.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.47 COP 30.7K

$6.63 IQD 10.0K

42.84%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 10.2K

$2.82 IQD 4,266

10.99%

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

$1.77 COP 5,728

$0.35 IQD 522

405.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 COP 4,620

$0.19 IQD 281

647.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.15 COP 10.2K

$3.36 IQD 5,079

-6.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.70 COP 18.5K

$3.24 IQD 4,889

75.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 COP 4,971

$0.90 IQD 1,367

70.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 COP 7,431

$0.63 IQD 951

263.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 COP 6,308

$1.31 IQD 1,978

48.09%

Eggs

$3.07 COP 9,945

$1.61 IQD 2,436

90.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 COP 32.4K

$1.34 IQD 2,019

645.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.45 COP 33.9K

$4.02 IQD 6,070

159.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.96 COP 45.3K

$11.86 IQD 17.9K

17.71%

Apples (1kg)

$4.05 COP 13.1K

$0.96 IQD 1,455

321.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,957

$0.92 IQD 1,383

66.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 COP 6,825

$0.83 IQD 1,256

153.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.29 COP 7,439

$0.40 IQD 606

472.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 COP 6,841

$0.52 IQD 784

305.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 COP 5,543

$0.56 IQD 851

205.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,795

$0.59 IQD 892

98.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 COP 5,125

$0.58 IQD 878

172.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.91 COP 12.7K

$1.69 IQD 2,548

131.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 COP 45.6K

$6.66 IQD 10.1K

110.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 COP 5,714

$1.97 IQD 2,973

-10.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 COP 8,796

$1.89 IQD 2,854

43.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 COP 3,826

$0.34 IQD 517

247.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.3 COP 247.4K

$19.98 IQD 30.2K

281.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.81 COP 5,860

$1.96 IQD 2,968

-7.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 COP 6,906

$1.28 IQD 1,940

66.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.13 COP 26.4K

$2.61 IQD 3,937

211.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 COP 4,136

$0.57 IQD 866

124.56%

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

$34.4K COP 111.7M

$16.7K IQD 25.3M

105.76%

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

$34.1K COP 110.7M

$16.6K IQD 25.1M

105.26%

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

$178 COP 576.4K

$69.4 IQD 104.9K

156.13%

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

$13.89 COP 45.0K

$16.69 IQD 25.2K

-16.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 COP 99.7K

$16.78 IQD 25.3K

83.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 COP 136.0K

$36.45 IQD 55.1K

15.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.80 COP 54.5K

$16.68 IQD 25.2K

0.72%

Cinema Ticket

$7.47 COP 24.2K

$7.81 IQD 11.8K

-4.35%

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

$790 COP 2.6M

$49.72 IQD 75.1K

1489.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.3K COP 39.9M

$1,297 IQD 2.0M

848.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$86.3 COP 280.0K

$25.54 IQD 38.6K

238.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.3 COP 192.2K

$33.33 IQD 50.4K

77.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 448.7K

$58.9 IQD 89.0K

134.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 COP 320.5K

$41.08 IQD 62.1K

140.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,341 COP 4.3M

$209 IQD 316.2K

540.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$667 COP 2.2M

$137 IQD 207.7K

385.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,976 COP 6.4M

$168 IQD 254.1K

1074.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 COP 3.3M

$309 IQD 467.1K

234.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,098 COP 13.3M

$867 IQD 1.3M

372.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,940 COP 6.3M

$496 IQD 750.1K

290.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 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: November 2, 2026

Last update for As Samawah: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$667 39.4%

As Samawah

$137 21.1% 79.4% $530

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$307 18.2%

As Samawah

$141 21.7% 54% $166

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$222 13.1%

As Samawah

$103 15.8% 53.7% $119

Eating Out

Medellin

$173 10.2%

As Samawah

$116 17.9% 32.5% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$172 10.2%

As Samawah

$71 11% 58.5% $101

Getting Around

Medellin

$93 5.5%

As Samawah

$30 4.6% 68.2% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$57 3.4%

As Samawah

$52 8% 8.5% $4.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,341 in Medellin and $209 in As Samawah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $27 in As Samawah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $307 vs $141 per month, with As Samawah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇮🇶 As Samawah

🕒 Local time

04:10 4:10 AM

12:10 12:10 PM

8 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

250,000

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.08 USD

10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.9 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 November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 3,243 COP (10,000 COP = 3.08 USD). 1 EUR = 3,636 COP (10,000 COP = 2.75 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,694 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.9 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Medellin As Samawah 12,490 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
As Samawah

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 As Samawah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

As Samawah is about 62% 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 $2,538 in Medellin and $977 in As Samawah 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: $1,341 in Medellin versus $209 in As Samawah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in As Samawah runs roughly 74% less than in Medellin. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $790 in Medellin versus $50 in As Samawah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $651 in As Samawah versus $1,692 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in As Samawah but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes As Samawah 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.

Expats usually find As Samawah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 62% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.