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: $1,641 in Medellin versus $1,124 in Baghdad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,447 in Medellin versus $1,692 in Baghdad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,253 in Medellin versus $2,259 in Baghdad.

Living in Medellin is roughly 46% more expensive than in Baghdad, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Medellin is 19% above, Baghdad is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.04 COP 24.8K

$4.74 IQD 6,209

69.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.29 COP 148.6K

$33.69 IQD 44.1K

43.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 COP 29.0K

$7.75 IQD 10.1K

21.55%

Cappuccino

$2.94 COP 9,040

$3.07 IQD 4,024

-4.23%

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

$1.86 COP 5,735

$0.40 IQD 521

365.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 COP 4,479

$0.24 IQD 313

508.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.21 COP 9,882

$3.87 IQD 5,071

-17.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 COP 17.6K

$3.75 IQD 4,911

52.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 COP 4,428

$1.09 IQD 1,423

32.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.40 COP 7,389

$0.80 IQD 1,042

200.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 COP 5,228

$1.51 IQD 1,982

12.58%

Eggs

$2.89 COP 8,896

$1.82 IQD 2,386

58.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 COP 30.9K

$3.90 IQD 5,106

157.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.97 COP 30.7K

$4.70 IQD 6,149

112.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.20 COP 43.7K

$14.34 IQD 18.8K

-0.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 COP 12.3K

$1.12 IQD 1,465

255.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 COP 4,878

$1.06 IQD 1,389

49.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 COP 6,624

$1.07 IQD 1,400

100.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 COP 7,078

$0.74 IQD 967

210.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.00 COP 6,169

$0.66 IQD 860

203.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 COP 4,646

$0.70 IQD 915

115.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 COP 3,701

$0.62 IQD 813

93.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 COP 3,946

$0.65 IQD 845

96.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.84 COP 11.8K

$1.78 IQD 2,333

115.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.01 COP 43.1K

$13.68 IQD 17.9K

2.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 COP 5,256

$2.14 IQD 2,798

-20.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 COP 8,440

$2.27 IQD 2,971

20.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 COP 3,834

$0.64 IQD 838

95.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 COP 239.7K

$22.99 IQD 30.1K

238.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.31 COP 4,016

$2.25 IQD 2,941

-41.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 COP 6,680

$1.48 IQD 1,944

46.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.29 COP 25.5K

$7.77 IQD 10.2K

6.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 COP 4,172

$0.67 IQD 877

102.99%

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

$27.5K COP 84.5M

$19.4K IQD 25.4M

41.78%

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

$36.5K COP 112.4M

$19.1K IQD 25.0M

91.23%

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

$169 COP 519.2K

$214 IQD 280.5K

-21.23%

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

$13.57 COP 41.8K

$21.41 IQD 28.0K

-36.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.32 COP 87.2K

$42.10 IQD 55.1K

-32.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.71 COP 140.7K

$47.30 IQD 61.9K

-3.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.22 COP 53.0K

$22.04 IQD 28.9K

-21.87%

Cinema Ticket

$6.65 COP 20.5K

$10.76 IQD 14.1K

-38.20%

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

$803 COP 2.5M

$165 IQD 215.5K

388.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,190 COP 28.3M

$3,445 IQD 4.5M

166.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.4 COP 268.8K

$29.79 IQD 39.0K

193.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.4 COP 182.7K

$38.31 IQD 50.2K

54.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 COP 427.5K

$74.4 IQD 97.5K

86.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 COP 314.0K

$47.59 IQD 62.3K

114.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 COP 3.3M

$566 IQD 741.8K

89.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$653 COP 2.0M

$346 IQD 453.5K

88.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,925 COP 5.9M

$959 IQD 1.3M

100.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 COP 3.2M

$679 IQD 889.1K

54.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,123 COP 12.7M

$4,665 IQD 6.1M

-11.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,697 COP 5.2M

$1,599 IQD 2.1M

6.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$655 COP 2.0M

$615 IQD 805.6K

6.48%

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: September 7, 2026

Last update for Baghdad: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,071 in Medellin and $566 in Baghdad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Medellin pays 6% 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: $48.00 in Medellin vs $34.00 in Baghdad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $186 per month, with Baghdad 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

Baghdad wins on cost – living expenses run 46% 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 6% 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: $1,071 in Medellin versus $566 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 239% less than in Medellin. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $803 in Medellin versus $165 in Baghdad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,124 in Baghdad versus $1,641 in Medellin, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Baghdad but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Baghdad the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Baghdad delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,124 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Baghdad hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Baghdad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.