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: $1,031 in Medellin versus $1,066 in Baghdad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $1,598 in Baghdad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $2,130 in Baghdad.

Living in Medellin costs roughly 3% less than in Baghdad, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Baghdad 20% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.0K

$5.30 IQD 6,947

16.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.0K

$36.81 IQD 48.2K

-11.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$7.78 IQD 10.2K

-5.66%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,592

$3.11 IQD 4,074

-44.69%

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

$1.05 COP 3,416

$0.40 IQD 522

162.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,511

$0.18 IQD 233

327.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,480

$3.49 IQD 4,576

-51.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$2.82 IQD 3,686

12.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,418

$1.31 IQD 1,722

-19.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,230

$0.84 IQD 1,100

54.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,538

$1.64 IQD 2,152

-14.63%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,037

$1.81 IQD 2,364

19.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$4.52 IQD 5,923

-2.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$4.86 IQD 6,364

20.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$14.16 IQD 18.5K

-38.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,415

$1.23 IQD 1,615

85.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,599

$1.16 IQD 1,519

-4.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,976

$1.04 IQD 1,366

47.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,405

$0.75 IQD 984

80.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,669

$0.64 IQD 843

76.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,687

$0.67 IQD 873

68.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,749

$0.63 IQD 828

34.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,971

$0.66 IQD 858

37.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,619

$2.07 IQD 2,707

13.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.2K

$13.33 IQD 17.5K

-7.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,904

$1.80 IQD 2,354

-33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,094

$2.11 IQD 2,762

18.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,724

$0.74 IQD 965

13.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 131.9K

$27.86 IQD 36.5K

45.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,617

$3.72 IQD 4,870

-61.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,227

$1.55 IQD 2,026

23.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$7.49 IQD 9,803

2.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,219

$0.53 IQD 700

86.79%

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

$18.0K COP 58.6M

$20.0K IQD 26.2M

-9.97%

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

$26.6K COP 86.6M

$20.3K IQD 26.6M

30.94%

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

$80.8 COP 262.7K

$175 IQD 229.3K

-53.84%

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

$9.95 COP 32.3K

$26.17 IQD 34.3K

-61.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.6K

$40.52 IQD 53.1K

-40.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.5K

$42.04 IQD 55.1K

-40.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$18.31 IQD 24.0K

4.59%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$7.49 IQD 9,813

-46.86%

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

$305 COP 992.2K

$166 IQD 217.8K

83.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$3,526 IQD 4.6M

71.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.0K

$28.00 IQD 36.7K

107.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.7K

$30.12 IQD 39.4K

6.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.5K

$63.9 IQD 83.7K

57.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.3K

$43.06 IQD 56.4K

150.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.5M

$548 IQD 717.9K

-13.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$323 IQD 422.7K

16.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$834 IQD 1.1M

1.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$597 IQD 781.1K

22.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$4,734 IQD 6.2M

-32.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$1,570 IQD 2.1M

-12.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

$629 IQD 823.2K

-1.89%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Baghdad: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $548 in Baghdad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Baghdad pays 2% 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. Groceries flip the comparison at $193 vs $190, with Baghdad cheaper for home cooking.

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 3% 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, salaries run 2% lower in Baghdad. 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: $477 in Medellin versus $548 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 46% less than in Baghdad. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $305 in Medellin versus $166 in Baghdad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,031 in Medellin versus $1,066 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 $1,031 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 3% less than in Baghdad. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.