Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ba'qubah Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Ba'qubah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,017 in Medellin versus $658 in Ba'qubah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $989 in Ba'qubah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,188 in Medellin versus $1,320 in Ba'qubah.

Living in Medellin is roughly 54% more expensive than Ba'qubah, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Ba'qubah 51% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.95 COP 20.8K

$4.84 IQD 6,342

22.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.33 COP 116.3K

$15.44 IQD 20.2K

115.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.23 COP 25.2K

$6.45 IQD 8,452

12.09%

Cappuccino

$1.63 COP 5,687

$1.16 IQD 1,521

40.52%

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

$1.09 COP 3,821

$0.52 IQD 682

109.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.73 COP 2,548

$0.22 IQD 286

231.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.74 COP 6,065

$1.93 IQD 2,523

-9.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 COP 11.3K

$2.13 IQD 2,786

51.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,662

$1.18 IQD 1,546

-11.02%

White Bread (500g)

$1.29 COP 4,515

$0.59 IQD 772

118.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.32 COP 4,617

$1.12 IQD 1,461

17.86%

Eggs

$2.27 COP 7,927

$1.41 IQD 1,852

60.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.35 COP 15.2K

$2.23 IQD 2,923

95.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 20.5K

$2.52 IQD 3,297

133.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.61 COP 30.0K

$10.81 IQD 14.2K

-20.35%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 COP 7,844

$0.99 IQD 1,296

127.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 COP 3,733

$1.18 IQD 1,542

-9.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.52 COP 5,322

$0.98 IQD 1,283

55.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.42 COP 4,964

$0.55 IQD 721

158.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,084

$0.55 IQD 714

112.73%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 COP 4,077

$0.65 IQD 846

80.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,096

$0.46 IQD 606

93.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 COP 3,146

$0.17 IQD 216

429.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.25 COP 7,837

$2.62 IQD 3,425

-14.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 COP 38.5K

$12.21 IQD 16.0K

-9.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.14 COP 3,977

$1.37 IQD 1,798

-16.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 COP 8,301

$2.02 IQD 2,649

17.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,916

$0.40 IQD 518

110.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.95 COP 146.4K

$31.03 IQD 40.6K

35.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.41 COP 4,912

$2.35 IQD 3,072

-40.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 COP 6,634

$2.12 IQD 2,774

-10.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.75 COP 27.0K

$5.24 IQD 6,865

47.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 COP 3,509

$0.35 IQD 464

188.57%

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

$17.6K COP 61.4M

$19.0K IQD 24.9M

-7.60%

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

$26.5K COP 92.5M

$20.4K IQD 26.7M

30.12%

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

$83.7 COP 292.1K

$59.3 IQD 77.6K

41.16%

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

$9.45 COP 33.0K

$17.34 IQD 22.7K

-45.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.11 COP 84.1K

$26.66 IQD 34.9K

-9.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 COP 88.3K

$19.45 IQD 25.5K

30.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 COP 66.8K

$16.98 IQD 22.2K

12.72%

Cinema Ticket

$4.10 COP 14.3K

$3.85 IQD 5,040

6.49%

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

$312 COP 1.1M

$26.46 IQD 34.6K

1078.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,993 COP 20.9M

$638 IQD 835.2K

839.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 COP 202.6K

$18.99 IQD 24.9K

205.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.56 COP 113.6K

$19.30 IQD 25.3K

68.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 COP 347.7K

$81.1 IQD 106.2K

22.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 COP 378.8K

$26.36 IQD 34.5K

311.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$482 COP 1.7M

$245 IQD 321.3K

96.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.3M

$181 IQD 236.6K

110.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 COP 2.9M

$573 IQD 750.2K

46.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$723 COP 2.5M

$350 IQD 458.1K

106.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,840 COP 9.9M

$772 IQD 1.0M

267.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,223 COP 4.3M

$193 IQD 252.4K

534.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$541 COP 1.9M

$718 IQD 940.5K

-24.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.43

5.67

136.86%

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

Last update for Medellin: June 8, 2026

Last update for Ba'qubah: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $482 in Medellin and $245 in Ba'qubah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ba'qubah pays 33% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $33.00 in Medellin vs $15.00 in Ba'qubah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $140 per month, with Ba'qubah 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 Ba'qubah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ba'qubah is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Clothing & Footwear, Eating Out, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 54% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Ba'qubah earns 33% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $482 in Medellin versus $245 in Ba'qubah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 35% higher in Medellin. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Ba'qubah – a meal for two runs $15.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $658 in Ba'qubah versus $1,017 in Medellin, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ba'qubah but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Ba'qubah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ba'qubah 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 Ba'qubah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.