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: $1,034 in Medellin versus $638 in Ba'qubah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,577 in Medellin versus $985 in Ba'qubah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,120 in Medellin versus $1,333 in Ba'qubah.

Living in Medellin is roughly 62% more expensive than Ba'qubah, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Ba'qubah 52% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.92 COP 21.4K

$5.03 IQD 6,593

17.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.75 COP 118.2K

$15.37 IQD 20.1K

113.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.20 COP 26.0K

$6.35 IQD 8,318

13.39%

Cappuccino

$1.70 COP 6,140

$1.13 IQD 1,478

50.44%

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

$1.10 COP 3,966

$0.48 IQD 628

129.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.72 COP 2,605

$0.18 IQD 242

300.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.67 COP 6,022

$1.93 IQD 2,534

-13.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 COP 11.2K

$2.06 IQD 2,697

50.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 COP 3,809

$1.13 IQD 1,485

-6.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.25 COP 4,497

$0.55 IQD 726

127.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.39 COP 5,022

$1.12 IQD 1,473

24.11%

Eggs

$2.26 COP 8,168

$1.41 IQD 1,852

60.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.33 COP 15.6K

$2.26 IQD 2,964

91.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.84 COP 21.1K

$2.52 IQD 3,298

131.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.83 COP 31.9K

$10.77 IQD 14.1K

-18.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 COP 8,099

$0.92 IQD 1,202

143.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 COP 3,882

$1.13 IQD 1,480

-4.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 5,522

$0.99 IQD 1,291

54.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.37 COP 4,950

$0.60 IQD 782

128.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 4,078

$0.56 IQD 729

101.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 COP 4,036

$0.69 IQD 901

62.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 3,057

$0.47 IQD 612

80.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 3,281

$0.21 IQD 281

333.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.33 COP 8,414

$2.71 IQD 3,557

-14.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.13 COP 40.2K

$12.24 IQD 16.0K

-9.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 COP 4,309

$1.43 IQD 1,873

-16.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 COP 8,553

$2.03 IQD 2,655

16.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.79 COP 2,838

$0.40 IQD 522

97.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.13 COP 148.5K

$31.61 IQD 41.4K

30.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 COP 5,184

$2.37 IQD 3,100

-39.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 COP 6,901

$2.10 IQD 2,751

-9.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.02 COP 28.9K

$5.32 IQD 6,973

50.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 COP 3,385

$0.33 IQD 427

184.85%

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

$17.9K COP 64.7M

$19.0K IQD 24.9M

-5.64%

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

$26.8K COP 96.7M

$20.9K IQD 27.4M

28.30%

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

$84.0 COP 303.1K

$59.3 IQD 77.7K

41.56%

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

$9.60 COP 34.7K

$17.97 IQD 23.5K

-46.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.16 COP 87.2K

$27.11 IQD 35.5K

-10.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.88 COP 93.4K

$18.94 IQD 24.8K

36.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.04 COP 68.7K

$16.61 IQD 21.8K

14.63%

Cinema Ticket

$3.92 COP 14.1K

$3.82 IQD 4,999

2.62%

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

$306 COP 1.1M

$27.30 IQD 35.8K

1022.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,919 COP 21.4M

$632 IQD 827.6K

836.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 COP 209.1K

$18.99 IQD 24.9K

204.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.82 COP 114.9K

$18.97 IQD 24.9K

67.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 COP 360.6K

$83.8 IQD 109.8K

19.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 COP 386.8K

$27.25 IQD 35.7K

293.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$487 COP 1.8M

$244 IQD 320.3K

99.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$368 COP 1.3M

$182 IQD 238.6K

102.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$826 COP 3.0M

$570 IQD 746.3K

44.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$716 COP 2.6M

$345 IQD 451.5K

107.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,925 COP 10.6M

$768 IQD 1.0M

280.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,407 COP 5.1M

$188 IQD 246.7K

647.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$546 COP 2.0M

$730 IQD 956.4K

-25.28%

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: April 27, 2026

Last update for Ba'qubah: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $487 in Medellin and $244 in Ba'qubah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ba'qubah pays 34% 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 62% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Ba'qubah earns 34% 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: $487 in Medellin versus $244 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 $638 in Ba'qubah versus $1,034 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 62% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.