Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Baghdad Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Baghdad

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,054 in Baghdad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,602 in Medellin versus $1,592 in Baghdad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,192 in Medellin versus $2,130 in Baghdad.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 4% less than in Baghdad, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 24% lower, Baghdad 21% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.99 COP 21.4K

$5.48 IQD 7,181

9.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.86 COP 117.4K

$36.97 IQD 48.4K

-11.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.09 COP 25.3K

$7.57 IQD 9,909

-6.34%

Cappuccino

$1.71 COP 6,115

$3.06 IQD 4,003

-44.12%

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

$1.10 COP 3,924

$0.40 IQD 518

175.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 COP 2,781

$0.18 IQD 242

333.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.68 COP 5,997

$3.42 IQD 4,485

-50.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 COP 11.0K

$2.94 IQD 3,853

4.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 COP 3,906

$1.32 IQD 1,726

-17.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.26 COP 4,508

$0.78 IQD 1,017

61.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,922

$1.65 IQD 2,166

-16.36%

Eggs

$2.19 COP 7,827

$1.79 IQD 2,350

22.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.40 COP 15.7K

$4.40 IQD 5,763

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 COP 20.1K

$5.07 IQD 6,636

11.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.89 COP 31.8K

$14.34 IQD 18.8K

-38.01%

Apples (1kg)

$2.34 COP 8,349

$1.23 IQD 1,612

90.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.06 COP 3,777

$1.17 IQD 1,530

-9.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.50 COP 5,374

$1.01 IQD 1,329

48.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.38 COP 4,924

$0.70 IQD 922

97.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 COP 4,111

$0.70 IQD 911

64.29%

Onion (1kg)

$1.16 COP 4,155

$0.64 IQD 835

81.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.89 COP 3,182

$0.63 IQD 822

41.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 COP 2,997

$0.66 IQD 871

27.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.28 COP 8,145

$2.11 IQD 2,765

8.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 COP 38.0K

$13.35 IQD 17.5K

-20.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 4,284

$1.76 IQD 2,301

-31.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 COP 8,824

$2.15 IQD 2,815

14.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.86 COP 3,056

$0.78 IQD 1,027

10.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.40 COP 147.9K

$28.60 IQD 37.4K

44.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 COP 5,264

$3.88 IQD 5,087

-62.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 COP 7,009

$1.47 IQD 1,923

33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.74 COP 27.6K

$7.85 IQD 10.3K

-1.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 COP 3,409

$0.56 IQD 737

69.64%

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

$18.1K COP 64.7M

$20.3K IQD 26.6M

-10.74%

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

$26.5K COP 94.6M

$19.9K IQD 26.1M

33.09%

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

$82.3 COP 293.7K

$181 IQD 237.4K

-54.63%

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

$9.50 COP 33.9K

$25.40 IQD 33.3K

-62.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.23 COP 86.5K

$40.16 IQD 52.6K

-39.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.89 COP 92.4K

$41.29 IQD 54.1K

-37.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.00 COP 67.9K

$18.43 IQD 24.1K

3.09%

Cinema Ticket

$3.93 COP 14.0K

$7.82 IQD 10.2K

-49.74%

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

$309 COP 1.1M

$163 IQD 213.2K

90.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,965 COP 21.3M

$3,573 IQD 4.7M

66.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 COP 209.5K

$28.57 IQD 37.4K

105.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.35 COP 115.5K

$30.72 IQD 40.2K

5.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 COP 366.4K

$63.4 IQD 83.0K

61.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 387.2K

$43.53 IQD 57.0K

149.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$476 COP 1.7M

$540 IQD 707.6K

-11.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$379 COP 1.4M

$321 IQD 420.5K

17.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$838 COP 3.0M

$818 IQD 1.1M

2.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 COP 2.6M

$580 IQD 759.9K

24.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,791 COP 10.0M

$4,034 IQD 5.3M

-30.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,211 COP 4.3M

$1,617 IQD 2.1M

-25.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$512 COP 1.8M

$642 IQD 841.2K

-20.33%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Baghdad: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $476 in Medellin and $540 in Baghdad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Baghdad pays 26% 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: $33.00 in Medellin vs $37.00 in Baghdad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $188 vs $191 per month, with Medellin 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 Baghdad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Baghdad. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Medellin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Baghdad earns 26% 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: $476 in Medellin versus $540 in Baghdad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Medellin runs roughly 45% less than in Baghdad. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $309 in Medellin versus $163 in Baghdad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,013 in Medellin versus $1,054 in Baghdad, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Medellin but tight or insufficient in Baghdad. The gap between the two cities makes Medellin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Medellin delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,013 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Medellin hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Medellin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Baghdad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.