Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Baghdad

For one person, living is cheaper in Baghdad: $1,048 a month against $1,639 in Medellin, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

79

Cost of Living Index in Medellin
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Medellin Living Index
50

Cost of Living Index in Baghdad
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Baghdad Living Index

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Medellin

🇨🇴 Colombia

$1,639

/mo nomad

Baghdad

🇮🇶 Iraq

$1,048

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Medellin and in Baghdad

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,639 in Medellin versus $1,048 in Baghdad.

Medellin $1,639
Baghdad $1,048

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,413 in Medellin versus $1,508 in Baghdad.

Medellin $2,413
Baghdad $1,508

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,186 in Medellin versus $1,968 in Baghdad.

Medellin $3,186
Baghdad $1,968

Living in Medellin is roughly 56% more expensive than in Baghdad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 20% above, Baghdad is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 COP 25.4K

$4.54 IQD 6,866

78.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.05 COP 148.0K

$26.64 IQD 40.3K

76.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.50 COP 29.9K

$6.47 IQD 9,781

46.83%

Cappuccino

$3.01 COP 9,485

$2.68 IQD 4,054

12.31%

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

$1.80 COP 5,660

$0.39 IQD 584

361.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 COP 4,443

$0.20 IQD 302

605.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.18 COP 9,990

$3.31 IQD 5,009

-3.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 COP 18.1K

$3.22 IQD 4,866

78.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.51 COP 4,751

$0.92 IQD 1,390

64.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 COP 7,480

$0.71 IQD 1,078

235.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 COP 5,573

$1.32 IQD 1,999

34.09%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 9,093

$1.71 IQD 2,577

69.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 COP 32.1K

$3.30 IQD 4,989

208.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.87 COP 31.1K

$4.15 IQD 6,269

137.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.99 COP 44.0K

$12.24 IQD 18.5K

14.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.97 COP 12.5K

$1.00 IQD 1,513

297.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 COP 4,883

$0.98 IQD 1,487

58.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,867

$0.95 IQD 1,440

129.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 COP 6,870

$0.68 IQD 1,021

220.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 COP 6,174

$0.58 IQD 877

237.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 COP 5,000

$0.57 IQD 854

178.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 COP 3,604

$0.60 IQD 903

91.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 COP 3,911

$0.61 IQD 927

103.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.96 COP 12.5K

$1.67 IQD 2,531

137.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.68 COP 43.0K

$11.64 IQD 17.6K

17.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 COP 5,221

$1.99 IQD 3,005

-16.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 COP 7,103

$1.96 IQD 2,962

15.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.17 COP 3,674

$0.32 IQD 480

265.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.4 COP 243.4K

$20.04 IQD 30.3K

286.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 COP 3,989

$2.02 IQD 3,045

-37.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 COP 6,442

$1.30 IQD 1,964

57.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.55 COP 26.9K

$6.67 IQD 10.1K

28.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 COP 4,237

$0.58 IQD 870

132.76%

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

$34.1K COP 107.2M

$16.5K IQD 25.0M

106.02%

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

$34.7K COP 109.1M

$16.7K IQD 25.2M

107.60%

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

$170 COP 533.7K

$188 IQD 284.5K

-9.91%

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

$13.55 COP 42.6K

$19.25 IQD 29.1K

-29.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.07 COP 88.3K

$37.51 IQD 56.7K

-25.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.70 COP 137.5K

$39.97 IQD 60.4K

9.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.19 COP 54.1K

$18.38 IQD 27.8K

-6.47%

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 COP 21.7K

$9.70 IQD 14.7K

-28.76%

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

$797 COP 2.5M

$145 IQD 219.6K

448.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,112 COP 28.7M

$3,297 IQD 5.0M

176.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.7 COP 266.5K

$25.60 IQD 38.7K

230.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.0 COP 182.3K

$33.32 IQD 50.3K

73.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$135 COP 424.6K

$60.2 IQD 90.9K

124.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 COP 307.9K

$41.85 IQD 63.2K

133.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 COP 3.8M

$537 IQD 811.6K

124.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$642 COP 2.0M

$364 IQD 550.5K

76.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,028 COP 6.4M

$963 IQD 1.5M

110.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,012 COP 3.2M

$624 IQD 943.1K

62.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,170 COP 13.1M

$4,276 IQD 6.5M

-2.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,910 COP 6.0M

$1,379 IQD 2.1M

38.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$657 COP 2.1M

$518 IQD 782.8K

26.84%

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: October 25, 2026

Last update for Baghdad: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medellin

$642 39.1%

Baghdad

$364 34.8% 43.2% $277

Groceries & Markets

Medellin

$297 18.1%

Baghdad

$164 15.6% 44.9% $133

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medellin

$211 12.9%

Baghdad

$245 23.4% 16% $34

Eating Out

Medellin

$170 10.4%

Baghdad

$113 10.8% 33.2% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Medellin

$169 10.3%

Baghdad

$72 6.9% 57.1% $97

Getting Around

Medellin

$94 5.7%

Baghdad

$30 2.9% 68.1% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Medellin

$58 3.5%

Baghdad

$59 5.7% 3.2% $1.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,208 in Medellin and $537 in Baghdad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 27% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $47 in Medellin vs $27 in Baghdad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $164 per month, with Baghdad cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇴 Medellin

🇮🇶 Baghdad

🕒 Local time

19:13 7:13 PM

03:13 3:13 AM

8 h ahead of Medellin

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,486,723

7,216,040 Capital

💱 Currency

Colombian Peso COP $

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 COP = 3.18 USD

10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.95 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 October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 3,146 COP (10,000 COP = 3.18 USD). 1 EUR = 3,502 COP (10,000 COP = 2.86 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,682 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.95 EUR).

USD to COP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Medellin Baghdad 12,320 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Medellin
Baghdad

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 Baghdad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baghdad wins on cost – living expenses run 36% lower than in Medellin. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Baghdad the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 27% higher in Medellin, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,208 in Medellin versus $537 in Baghdad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

Childcare runs $797 in Medellin versus $145 in Baghdad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Baghdad is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Baghdad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.