Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and As Samawah Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and As Samawah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,681 in Medellin versus $675 in As Samawah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,445 in Medellin versus $969 in As Samawah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,210 in Medellin versus $1,263 in As Samawah.

Living in Medellin is roughly 149% more expensive than in As Samawah, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 23% above, As Samawah is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.02 COP 25.0K

$4.84 IQD 6,341

65.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.87 COP 149.4K

$34.74 IQD 45.5K

37.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.89 COP 30.8K

$7.56 IQD 9,900

30.82%

Cappuccino

$3.13 COP 9,767

$3.08 IQD 4,036

1.62%

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

$1.91 COP 5,954

$0.40 IQD 522

377.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 COP 4,712

$0.19 IQD 254

694.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.12 COP 9,747

$3.72 IQD 4,877

-16.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 17.9K

$3.73 IQD 4,883

54.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,509

$1.08 IQD 1,409

33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 COP 7,759

$0.77 IQD 1,013

223.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,535

$1.51 IQD 1,978

17.22%

Eggs

$2.96 COP 9,235

$1.75 IQD 2,298

69.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 COP 31.4K

$1.51 IQD 1,976

566.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.12 COP 31.6K

$4.83 IQD 6,320

109.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.30 COP 44.6K

$13.91 IQD 18.2K

2.80%

Apples (1kg)

$4.14 COP 12.9K

$1.09 IQD 1,430

279.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 COP 5,019

$1.08 IQD 1,417

49.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,007

$0.94 IQD 1,236

139.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,028

$0.42 IQD 548

435.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 COP 6,375

$0.55 IQD 719

270.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 COP 4,790

$0.67 IQD 874

129.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 COP 3,651

$0.67 IQD 884

74.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 COP 4,077

$0.68 IQD 893

92.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.90 COP 12.2K

$1.85 IQD 2,421

110.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.7K

$7.48 IQD 9,793

87.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 COP 5,439

$2.22 IQD 2,910

-21.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 COP 8,956

$2.26 IQD 2,963

26.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 COP 3,792

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.5 COP 251.1K

$22.50 IQD 29.5K

257.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,084

$2.24 IQD 2,929

-41.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 COP 6,825

$1.49 IQD 1,946

46.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.71 COP 27.2K

$3.13 IQD 4,097

178.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 COP 4,260

$0.62 IQD 811

120.97%

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

$27.8K COP 86.9M

$18.8K IQD 24.6M

48.02%

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

$35.8K COP 111.6M

$18.8K IQD 24.6M

90.29%

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

$177 COP 553.2K

$82.3 IQD 107.8K

115.41%

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

$13.88 COP 43.3K

$19.13 IQD 25.1K

-27.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.72 COP 92.8K

$19.37 IQD 25.4K

53.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.88 COP 140.1K

$7.80 IQD 10.2K

475.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.12 COP 53.4K

$19.36 IQD 25.3K

-11.57%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.7K

$9.14 IQD 12.0K

-27.24%

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

$813 COP 2.5M

$57.4 IQD 75.2K

1316.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,187 COP 28.7M

$1,506 IQD 2.0M

509.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.5 COP 279.3K

$29.18 IQD 38.2K

206.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.0 COP 184.0K

$37.61 IQD 49.3K

56.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 COP 431.2K

$74.7 IQD 97.8K

85.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 318.7K

$47.79 IQD 62.6K

113.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,062 COP 3.3M

$122 IQD 159.1K

773.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$663 COP 2.1M

$117 IQD 152.8K

468.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,888 COP 5.9M

$180 IQD 235.3K

950.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,027 COP 3.2M

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,183 COP 13.1M

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,675 COP 5.2M

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$678 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: September 14, 2026

Last update for As Samawah: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,062 in Medellin and $122 in As Samawah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $48.00 in Medellin vs $35.00 in As Samawah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $164 per month, with As Samawah cheaper across the board.

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 cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 149% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $2,521 in Medellin and $1,013 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: $1,062 in Medellin versus $122 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 258% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $813 in Medellin versus $57.4 in As Samawah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $675 in As Samawah versus $1,681 in Medellin, a $1,500 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.

For families, As Samawah is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Medellin, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find As Samawah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 149% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.