Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Basra Cost of Living Comparison Between Medellin and Basra

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,031 in Medellin versus $739 in Basra.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,599 in Medellin versus $1,368 in Basra.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,167 in Medellin versus $1,996 in Basra.

Living in Medellin is roughly 39% more expensive than in Basra, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities sit below the global median: Medellin 23% lower, Basra 45% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.16 COP 20.1K

$3.79 IQD 4,959

62.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.60 COP 106.1K

$25.30 IQD 33.1K

28.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.34 COP 23.9K

$6.74 IQD 8,831

8.90%

Cappuccino

$1.72 COP 5,600

$2.03 IQD 2,656

-15.27%

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

$1.05 COP 3,420

$0.47 IQD 612

123.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.77 COP 2,515

$0.35 IQD 452

120.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.69 COP 5,488

$3.72 IQD 4,866

-54.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.17 COP 10.3K

$2.59 IQD 3,391

22.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 COP 3,423

$1.23 IQD 1,608

-14.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.30 COP 4,236

$0.70 IQD 922

85.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 COP 4,544

$1.46 IQD 1,906

-4.11%

Eggs

$2.16 COP 7,047

$1.88 IQD 2,467

14.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.39 COP 14.3K

$8.26 IQD 10.8K

-46.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.88 COP 19.1K

$6.93 IQD 9,071

-15.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.64 COP 28.1K

$13.13 IQD 17.2K

-34.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 COP 7,426

$1.05 IQD 1,370

117.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 COP 3,604

$1.34 IQD 1,756

-17.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 COP 4,983

$1.00 IQD 1,316

53.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 COP 4,410

$0.59 IQD 774

128.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,674

$0.68 IQD 894

66.18%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 COP 3,692

$0.60 IQD 789

88.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 COP 2,753

$0.78 IQD 1,022

8.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 COP 2,975

$0.41 IQD 542

121.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.34 COP 7,630

$1.95 IQD 2,559

20.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.37 COP 40.3K

$13.18 IQD 17.3K

-6.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 COP 3,909

$3.02 IQD 3,957

-60.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 COP 8,104

$3.92 IQD 5,139

-36.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.84 COP 2,728

$0.37 IQD 479

127.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.57 COP 132.1K

$23.11 IQD 30.3K

75.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.42 COP 4,623

$2.28 IQD 2,992

-37.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 COP 6,235

$2.26 IQD 2,957

-15.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.66 COP 24.9K

$6.93 IQD 9,071

10.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 COP 3,223

$0.56 IQD 732

76.79%

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

$18.0K COP 58.7M

$13.1K IQD 17.2M

37.25%

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

$26.6K COP 86.7M

$22.6K IQD 29.6M

17.73%

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

$80.8 COP 263.1K

$56.7 IQD 74.2K

42.57%

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

$9.95 COP 32.4K

$25.66 IQD 33.6K

-61.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.18 COP 78.7K

$38.60 IQD 50.5K

-37.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.08 COP 81.7K

$36.33 IQD 47.6K

-30.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.15 COP 62.3K

$15.54 IQD 20.4K

23.23%

Cinema Ticket

$3.98 COP 13.0K

$7.82 IQD 10.2K

-49.10%

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

$305 COP 993.5K

$98.0 IQD 128.3K

211.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,059 COP 19.7M

$3,807 IQD 5.0M

59.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.1 COP 189.2K

$42.66 IQD 55.9K

36.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.20 COP 104.8K

$20.58 IQD 27.0K

56.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 COP 327.9K

$70.1 IQD 91.9K

43.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 COP 350.8K

$41.08 IQD 53.8K

162.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$477 COP 1.6M

$445 IQD 582.7K

7.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$376 COP 1.2M

$136 IQD 178.0K

176.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$845 COP 2.7M

$908 IQD 1.2M

-7.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$730 COP 2.4M

$650 IQD 851.8K

12.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,215 COP 10.5M

$1,605 IQD 2.1M

100.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,372 COP 4.5M

$783 IQD 1.0M

75.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$617 COP 2.0M

$752 IQD 985.3K

-18.02%

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 Basra: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $477 in Medellin and $445 in Basra. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basra pays 22% 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 $25.00 in Basra. Groceries flip the comparison at $193 vs $212, with Medellin 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 Basra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medellin and Basra differ by about 39% in total monthly costs ($1,031 vs $739 including rent). Basra is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 22% lower in Basra. 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 $445 in Basra. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Medellin pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Basra – a meal for two runs $25.00 versus $33.00 in Medellin. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $739 in Basra versus $1,031 in Medellin, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Basra but tight or insufficient in Medellin. The gap between the two cities makes Basra the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Basra gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Medellin. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.